Online Module 1: The Industrial Revolution

Hello! Welcome to another blog post. For this post, I will be discussing the answers to three "big picture" questions from the chapter on the Industrial Revolution (Chapter 17). Through this discussion, one may seemingly be able to grasp a broader idea of what the industrial revolution is and how it has shaped our global world. 

1.  How did the Industrial Revolution transform British society?

Tracing the roots of the industrial revolution, we can see that it began in Britain. British aristocrats were interested in the world of business. Along with this, Britain was the most highly commercialized of Europe’s large countries. In order to develop into one of the world’s most advanced countries, there was a need to create and have more “advanced” technology and business through the observations and innovations found during the scientific revolution. One way the Industrial revolution transformed the British Society was through the decline of the British Aristocracy. Because of this, urban wealth becomes more of a priority. By the end of the century, land ownership had largely ceased to be the basis of great wealth, and businessmen, rather than aristocrats, led the major political parties. Another transformation due to the revolution was on the middle class. This middle class was comprised of businessmen, doctors, lawyers, and other professionals required in any industrial society. The middle class of this time was liberals who were not afraid to speak out on their values and outlooks. This brought forth the “Reform Bill of 1832” which broadened the right to vote yo many men of the middle class but not to middle-class women. The industrial revolution also brought forth to Britain a better standard of living. 

2.  What were the differences between industrialization in the United States and that in Russia

First, in the United States, workers and businessmen prompted economic and societal change as they created an industrialized economy without much direct government intervention. This gave citizens the ability to make better choices as they are much more acquainted with society. In Russia on the other hand, because they were autocratic, the change in society was often initiated by the state and its leaders. Unlike the United States, the people did not have a say in the works in society. Another difference would be, workers in the United States were allowed to create labor unions and vote which resulted in workers earning high wages. as opposed to Russia, “working-class consciousness” was much more radical. Another factor that contributes to their difference would be the type of government both countries have. As we know, the United States had a more equal and democratic government which believed in the rule of law and equality for all, therefore, workers and the people were free, had rights and were treated better. As opposed to that of Russia, where autocratic monarchy reigned due to Mongolian control, the country lagged behind in terms of development and they constantly tried to catch up in the Western world. 

3. What was common to industrialization everywhere, and in what ways did it vary from place to place?

What was common with industrialization everywhere was the evolution and birth of various new technologies and sources of energy which led to an increase in production and resulted in urbanization taking place. The culture of innovation became widespread across the globe as countries wished to achieve a much more advanced reputation and to be able to match the leading countries across the world. The various takes on the industrial revolution from place to place are: In Europe, there was a change in class structures and the middle class and factory working class became much more prominent and grew in numbers. The Industrial Revolution was also first confined to the borders of Europe and spread across the world, as we mentioned in the first question, the revolution began in Britain. The United States was not far from that of Europe, the industrial revolution in the US began with a rural agrarian society which was transformed into an industrial economy. Apart from the western world and including Latin America, the countries included in these categories improved economically at a much later rate compared to the Western world. In Latin America, the economy was defined by the export of raw materials to supply factories and the workforces of the United States and Europe. If we look back at what we discussed at the beginning of World History 2, we know that European countries colonized Latin America and Asian countries which resulted in them developing at a much slower rate.