The causes and consequences of the industrial revolution they are located at the economic, social and technological levels. This revolution began in England in the mid-17th century..
Later, in the 19th century, it expanded to the rest of the continent and the world. This transformation process was favored by a series of simultaneous elements that laid the basis for its development..
At this time, the people of high society had large sums of money from exploitation in the American colonies, as well as raw materials. Having available capital was necessary to invest it in a project.
Added to this, the Enlightenment made the English population prepared to accept innovative ideas, such as those proposed by the industrial revolution.
The most obvious consequence of the Industrial Revolution was the institution of the machine, which lightened the work of human labor and, in some cases, replaced it..
The causes of the Industrial Revolution can be seen from an economic, social and technological point of view. From an economic point of view, the availability of capital and the need to expand trade were the most relevant causes..
From the social point of view, the availability of labor due to the agrarian revolution was an essential element for the development of the Industrial Revolution.
Finally, from a technological point of view, the appearance of the steam engine and other inventions was the real trigger for this process..
In the seventeenth century, England had colonies in America that provided income from the collection of taxes, the sale of products, among others. This caused the capital of the great colonizers to increase considerably.
With this availability of large sums of capital, it was necessary to invest it in some area that promised profits..
For this reason, when investors saw the benefits promised by the introduction of the machine, they decided to support the Industrial Revolution..
In addition to capital, the colonies of England in America provided large amounts of raw material, mainly cotton. Likewise, in England agricultural production was one of the most complete in Europe..
The raw material was abundant but the artisans, in charge of transforming it into consumer products, did not provide enough for this task. The move from a manual system to a mechanized system promised to be the solution to this problem..
The international market demand had increased considerably. As demand increased, there had to be an increase in supply as well.
Therefore, the producers found it necessary to streamline the creative process. This is why the use of other systems faster than human labor was promoted: machines.
Before the Industrial Revolution took place, England went through the agrarian revolution. Between the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the most prominent industry was textile, wool being one of the most important fabrics.
The need to increase sheep farming caused production in the fields to change: plants for direct consumption were no longer grown, but fodder for beasts.
The promotion of cattle ranching took away the land they cultivated from the peasants. Many started working on the farms raising sheep, but others were unemployed.
For this reason, workers moved to the cities in search of other jobs, favoring industrial growth.
The Industrial Revolution would not have been possible without the appearance of the steam engine and other technological innovations.
The steam engine was perfected by James Watt and was used as a means of powering transportation systems: railways and steamships.
Other inventions of the time were the flying shuttle (applied in the textile industry, facilitated the work of spinning) and hydraulic systems (which provided energy from water currents).
Just as the causes of the Industrial Revolution are located at different levels, the consequences of this process were also felt in different areas of society..
From a demographic point of view, the population grew because of the revolution. Likewise, a process of internal migration from the countryside to the city was experienced..
For its part, the economy of the industrialized countries became a sustainable one. In addition, the new concepts of capitalism and private property were reaffirmed..
However, the most obvious consequence was the industrialization of modern societies. This element still has repercussions in our days.
The economic stability created by the Industrial Revolution had an impact on the organization of societies. The European population grew at a constant rate, as the existence of larger families was promoted.
On the other hand, external migration also contributed to the demographic growth of the most industrialized countries..
From a demographic point of view, the Industrial Revolution gave way to an impressive migration process.
To begin with, industrialized countries experienced internal migration. Workers flocked from the countryside to the city in search of better life chances. Thus the urban population increased and the rural population decreased.
Second, there was external migration. It is estimated that from the 18th century to the 19th century there was a migratory exchange between America and Europe of more than 50 million people.
The Industrial Revolution gave way to a sustainable economy, in which supply equaled demand. This caused many nations to experience economic growth, becoming richer and more developed every day..
Mass production fostered the concept of capitalism which had been advanced by Adam Smith.
Likewise, the Industrial Revolution promoted the idea of private property of the means of production, that is, industry.
The most notorious consequences of this process were the industrialization and modernization that occurred thanks to the introduction of the machine in the different areas of society.
Yet No Comments