Industrial Revolution 24-25

Industrial Revolution Overview

Definition and Phases

• What is the Industrial Revolution?

  • A period marked by a significant shift in manufacturing processes, moving from hand production to machines.

• Main Phases

  • Two key phases: First Industrial Revolution (late 18th - early 19th century) and Second Industrial Revolution (late 19th - early 20th century).

Causes and Advantages

• Why did it begin in England?

  • Availability of natural resources (coal, iron), political stability, access to markets, advancements in technology.

• Advantages of England

  • Established colonial empire providing raw materials and markets, a strong naval presence, innovative spirit.

Development and Effects of Industrialization

Initial Development

• Industrialization began in England with textile manufacturing leading to advancements in technology and manufacturing.

Effects of Industrialization

• Social Effects

  • Urbanization, rise of factories, changing labor conditions.

• Economic Effects

  • Growth of industry, capitalism, shifts in labor market.

Costs and Benefits

• Specific Costs

  • Poor working conditions, exploitation of labor (especially women and children), environmental degradation.

• Specific Benefits

  • Inexpensive goods, increased productivity, technological progress, economic growth.

Connection to Imperialism

• Industrial Revolution facilitated imperialism through the need for raw materials and markets for manufactured goods.

Social Divisions Created

• Created a stark division between the wealthy industrialists and the working class, leading to class struggles and labor movements.

Major Themes of the Industrial Revolution

• Loss of individuality and human rights

• Increasing gap between classes

• Oppression of the working class

• Shift in skill-based work to task/time-based work

• Cult of domesticity for the middle class

• Positive and negative technological impacts

Intellectual Movements in Response to Industrialization

Art and Literature

• Realism in Painting

  • Focused on depicting everyday life, utilitarian subjects. Painters like Gustave Courbet showcased social struggles (e.g. The Stonebreakers).

• Impact of Literature

  • Charles Dickens's Hard Times criticized poor working conditions, illustrating social injustices through characters representative of the working class.

Impressionism

• Emerged in the late 1800s as a reaction against industrialization; emphasized light and color, capturing fleeting moments, often depicting leisure scenes of the middle class.

  • Example: Monet's work showcasing nature contrasting city life.

Contextual Studies

The Luddites

• Who were they?

  • Skilled workers opposing mechanization, resorting to destroying machinery to protect jobs.

• Neutrality of Technology

  • Question of whether technology benefits all equally; Luddites highlighted the potential for harm.

Key Perspectives on Industrialization

• Henry David Thoreau

  • Critique of industrialization; idealized simple, self-reliant living distinguished from capitalist production.

• Critical Viewpoints from Marx and Darwin

  • Marx analyzed class struggles and predicted a revolution by the proletariat against capitalist structures.

  • Darwin's theory misappropriated to justify imperialism and Social Darwinism.

Conclusion and Legacy

• Industrial Revolution transformed society fundamentally, leading to modern economic systems and social structures. Its mixed legacy prompts ongoing debates about technological impact, individual rights, and class dynamics.