There Industrial Revolution it was a process of evolution that transformed systems from agricultural, artisanal and commercial to industrial, thanks to the use of machines. Generally, a distinction is made into the first and second industrial revolutions, where the first was mainly focused on the textile-metallurgical sector, while the second concerned the introduction of electricity, chemical products and oil.
The changes that the industrial revolution brought with it
First, the industrial revolution brought with it various technological innovations which have transformed above all the production processes, such as for example the steam enginedeveloped by James Watt, which was able to revolutionize not only production processes, but also transportation. The factories they have become the fulcrum of production, replacing small artisan workshops.
Consequentially, also transport have undergone various variations, given that the invention of the steam locomotive and the railways made it possible to reach greater distances in less time, both for goods and for people, thus stimulating the growth of trade and cultural exchange.
Consequently, thanks to the two cases we have just talked about, there has been a notable increase in production and productivity, thanks to which it has been possible to obtain different goods at lower costs and on a larger scale. Prices have dropped significantly and therefore these products have become accessible to many more people, and as a further consequence the industrial cities and a new social class was formed, namely the working class.
In fact, the social structure has changed significantly, given that more and more people have moved from rural areas to live in cities, precisely in search of jobs in factories. As a result, one was seen very rapid urbanization, which on the other hand brought with it some negative consequences, such as extremely exhausting working conditions that exploited the staff. In fact, the working hours were endless, the wages were extremely low and the safety conditions were decidedly far from what we would consider up to standard today.
Furthermore, the industrial revolution also brought with it notable environmental changes, given that air and water pollution have significantly increased and at the same time we have begun to use a greater quantity of natural resources. On the other hand, it was only possible thanks to the industrial revolution to get to where we are today, with all the technologies and continuous discoveries and new developments up to the artificial intelligence of recent years.
And what do you think are the most impactful pros and cons of the industrial revolution?
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