The Industrial Revolution Essay -- History Historical Work Essays

The Industrial Revolution Introduction to the Revolution The Industrial revolution was a time of drastic change marked by the general introduction of power-driven machinery. This change generally helped life, but it had its disadvantages as well. Pollution, such as Carbon Dioxide levels in the atmosphere rose, working conditions declined, and the number of women and children working increased. The government, the arts, literature, music, architecture and man's way of looking at life all changed during this period. Two revolutions took place. The first Industrial Revolution was based upon the cotton industry. Most of the inventions made during that period were mainly for manufacturing and producing cotton. John Kay, an English weaver invented the flying shuttle, a product that could cut cotton twice as fast. When other inventors saw what Kay had made, they wanted to do the same. One problem still remained. Yarn was not being fed fast enough through the weaver, but in 1769, two new inventions solved the problem. The spinning jenny and the water-powered frame, both of which fed yarn through the flying shuttle faster. Cleaning the cotton was a boring and time consuming job, so in 1793, Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin. The gin cleaned cotton up to 50 times faster than a human could. The Steam Engine The first steam engine was patented in 1769. Invented by James Watt, this steam engine was a combination of previous made engines. The first important development by Watt was a separate cylinder for the steam to exit. Another special design in Watt’s steam engine was that it used atmospheric pressure instead of steam pressure. The Assembly Line The Assembly Line, often attributed to Henry Ford, was a brilliant idea, which allowed items to be produced at a less expense, and at a faster rate. The principle behind the assembly line was that a worker would stand in one place, a belt would bring the pieces or goods to the worker and he or she would simply perform a task such as putting a bolt in or assembling a piece. Then, the item would go on its way by means of the belt to the next worker, who would perform the next task. The assembly line worked, and actually made things such as automobiles, previously too expensive for the average family, to now be affordable. England’s Economy Before the Revolution Before the first i... ...ife Changed During The Industrial Revolution Life drastically changed during the industrial revolution. People were living in germ infested, crowded and very unhealthy conditions, much like the places where they work. Women and children worked in harsh conditions for almost whole days and only received little pay. The British Parliament stepped in and limited child labor. This sparked a revolt. People, especially wealthy capitalists, wanted the government to stay out of its issues, called the laissez-faire system5. Many people opposed the laissez-faire system, saying the capitalists would gain too much power and people would be mistreated. The laissez-faire system was disregarded after a few years. Conclusion In Conclusion, all of the information above shows that the Industrial Revolution did change the jobs of today. During the Industrial Revolution, inventions such as the Cotton Gin and the Steam Engine were brought about. The Industrial revolution brought on more technology, wealth and power, but at what consequence? The people were living in filth, working unthinkable hours and being paid very little. The revolution shaped modern society to what it is today. The Industrial Revolution Essay -- History Historical Work Essays The Industrial Revolution Introduction to the Revolution The Industrial revolution was a time of drastic change marked by the general introduction of power-driven machinery. This change generally helped life, but it had its disadvantages as well. Pollution, such as Carbon Dioxide levels in the atmosphere rose, working conditions declined, and the number of women and children working increased. The government, the arts, literature, music, architecture and man's way of looking at life all changed during this period. Two revolutions took place. The first Industrial Revolution was based upon the cotton industry. Most of the inventions made during that period were mainly for manufacturing and producing cotton. John Kay, an English weaver invented the flying shuttle, a product that could cut cotton twice as fast. When other inventors saw what Kay had made, they wanted to do the same. One problem still remained. Yarn was not being fed fast enough through the weaver, but in 1769, two new inventions solved the problem. The spinning jenny and the water-powered frame, both of which fed yarn through the flying shuttle faster. Cleaning the cotton was a boring and time consuming job, so in 1793, Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin. The gin cleaned cotton up to 50 times faster than a human could. The Steam Engine The first steam engine was patented in 1769. Invented by James Watt, this steam engine was a combination of previous made engines. The first important development by Watt was a separate cylinder for the steam to exit. Another special design in Watt’s steam engine was that it used atmospheric pressure instead of steam pressure. The Assembly Line The Assembly Line, often attributed to Henry Ford, was a brilliant idea, which allowed items to be produced at a less expense, and at a faster rate. The principle behind the assembly line was that a worker would stand in one place, a belt would bring the pieces or goods to the worker and he or she would simply perform a task such as putting a bolt in or assembling a piece. Then, the item would go on its way by means of the belt to the next worker, who would perform the next task. The assembly line worked, and actually made things such as automobiles, previously too expensive for the average family, to now be affordable. England’s Economy Before the Revolution Before the first i... ...ife Changed During The Industrial Revolution Life drastically changed during the industrial revolution. People were living in germ infested, crowded and very unhealthy conditions, much like the places where they work. Women and children worked in harsh conditions for almost whole days and only received little pay. The British Parliament stepped in and limited child labor. This sparked a revolt. People, especially wealthy capitalists, wanted the government to stay out of its issues, called the laissez-faire system5. Many people opposed the laissez-faire system, saying the capitalists would gain too much power and people would be mistreated. The laissez-faire system was disregarded after a few years. Conclusion In Conclusion, all of the information above shows that the Industrial Revolution did change the jobs of today. During the Industrial Revolution, inventions such as the Cotton Gin and the Steam Engine were brought about. The Industrial revolution brought on more technology, wealth and power, but at what consequence? The people were living in filth, working unthinkable hours and being paid very little. The revolution shaped modern society to what it is today.