Industrial Revolution

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The Effects of the Industrial Revolution
Beginning first in Great Britain, industrialization spread to the continental countries of Europe and the United States. In 1815, Belgium, France, and the German states were still largely agrarian. The Industrial Revolution began in Britain in the mid eighteen hundreds. England was fortunate to have the right mix of an abundance of people, plenty of wealth, sufficient natural resources, new inventions, and a tolerant government, which allowed people to try new things. While these were not aspects that were exclusive to England, England was the first place where they all came together to spark industrialization. However, one main cause for the Industrial Revolution that is not listed above was the power crisis that struck England in the eighteenth century. The use of only human and animal muscle for power led to poverty because of the limited output each person produced. Second, England, which had once been covered in forests, was quickly becoming barren with use of wood for fuel. This crisis caused the people of England to look for new forms of power and ways to use them. The use of new forms of power was greatly important to the Industrial Revolution; therefore, the power crisis in England jumpstarted the revolution. Another aspect of the English society that allowed the Industrial Revolution to start in England was the structure of its class system. In England in the mid seventeen hundreds, there was not one dominant and powerful feudal class, which restricted and constrained vast changes in society or great population movements. Instead, there was an abundance of free workers who did not own land. This class structure coupled with a stable government that did not hinder the economy made for a perfect setting for industrialization.
As a result of industrialization, cities and towns grew dramatically in Britain. In 1700, Europe's population was between 100-120 million people, and later by ...