The Industrial Revolution started during the late 18th and early 19th centuries in Great Britain.

It then spread to the rest of Europe, North America and finally to the whole of the world. It is termed as a revolution as it brought about a sea of change in the way people lived and worked. It was marked by technological and industrial developments that affected every aspect of human life, from economic to social changes. Industries and factories provided an alternate to farming and animal rearing, which till then had been the only source of employment. People moved out of villages to the towns and cities where they worked in mills and factories. They stopped making goods of daily use at home and started living in industrialized societies, manufacturing and buying commodities made in factories and industries. Such changes were brought about by certain inventions that brought about important social and political changes. Inventions During the Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution was the result of a number scientific inventions that led to the mechanization of the textile industry, improved roads and railway networks and development of iron making techniques. Some of the important inventions are as follows:

The Spinning Jenny: Prior to the Industrial Revolution, Britain had a large textile industry in which the artisans worked at home using the spinning wheel and the hand loom. However, the traditional methods of producing yarn restricted largescale production of goods. With the invention of the spinning jenny by James Hargreaves, artisans could spin almost 120 threads together instead of one thread at a time. The Water Frame: The water frame which was developed by Thomas Highs and later patented by Richard Arkwright in 1769, was a spinning frame that could be run by water. The water frame provided more power to the spinning frame than those operated by human beings. Hence, not only did it reduce the amount of human labor required, it also increased the spindle count and provided stronger thread than the spinning jenny. The Cotton Gin: The cotton gin that was invented by Eli Whitney, an American inventor. The gin allowed large-scale separation of cotton seeds from the cotton ball, that otherwise had to be separated by hand, a task that was carried out by the slaves on the American cotton plantations. The Steam Engine: The drawback of the water frame was that it required a water source close to the factory. This problem was overcome by the steam engine that was invented by James Watson. Though, mainly known for its use in running a train, the power of steam was also used to run machinery in factories and mines. Locomotive: The power of steam was used by Richard Trevithick running carriages on the roads. In 1804, he used steam power to run locomotives on rails. George Stephenson, an engineer in the mining industry further developed more powerful locomotives in 1814 that helped establish the first two rail lines in England in 1825 and 1830.

Effects Social Changes

Urbanization: The Revolution had a great effect on towns and cities. It led to the creation of factories that provided job opportunities to the workforce, who otherwise toiled on their farmlands. it saw a flux of population from the rural areas to the towns and cities that promised better employment opportunities, and led to the phenomenon of urbanization. Child Labor: The Industrial Revolution led to a spurt in the growth of factories and industries that required more labor. As muscle power was not required to run the machines and there was no work force that was already trained in operating them, children became a good choice for labor for the factory owners. Their productivity was almost the same as adults while their labor was cheaper. All these conditions led to abuse of children in the form of child labor. Division of the Society: The Industrial Revolution saw the rise of the middle class as opposed to the nobility and royalty during the days of monarchy. It created a class of the rich industry owners, the managers and a separate class of the workers. Wealth was concentrated in the hands of the rich people who mainly enjoyed the comforts of the Industrial Revolution. The working class were underpaid and overworked. They worked in inhuman conditions and lived in small cramped houses. Their living conditions were unhygienic, because of which they suffered from a number of diseases.

Political Changes During the initial stages of the Revolution the government's policy was that of noninterference with business and industry. However, the plight of the factory workers was so dismal that there was widespread protests against the exploitation of the working class. As a result, a number of bills like the First Two Factory Acts (1802 and 1819) were passed by the Parliament to regulate the safety of children in factories. Subsequently other bills were passed that were aimed at restoring the rights of the workers and to regulate the working conditions in factories. The Industrial Revolution is one of the most important events in the history of mankind. It set the wheels of scientific inventions and technical advancements rolling, the benefits of which we are still reaping after two centuries!