What was the effect of the Industrial Revolution?

One of the primary causes of the Industrial Revolution was the emergence of laissez-faire capitalism as an economic system.  Laissez-faire capitalism is a highly individualistic ideology in which the government plays as little a role as possible in the economic decisions of a country.  Historians often refer to the ideology of the Industrial Revolution as classical liberalism since it included the principles of laissez-faire capitalism while also promoting basic individual rights.  This political and economic climate created a situation in which wealthy factory and mine owners were able to exploit working-class people.  As a result, this led to horrible working conditions for the people of the Industrial Revolution.  For example, child labor was a common feature of the Industrial Revolution with children as young as four working in dirty and dangerous conditions without protection from the government.  As time passed, socialist ideologies emerged in response to this exploitation.  Several prominent socialist ideologies that emerged at the time included: Marxism and utopia socialism.  Marxism is best associated with Karl Marx and the system of ideas he established in his books ‘The Communist Manifesto’ and ‘Das Kapital’.  In each book, he argues against the exploitation of the working-class and for a more equitable society in which there are no class divisions.  Utopian socialism is best associated with Robert Owen, who owned a factory in New Lanark, Scotland, during the time period of the Industrial Revolution.  He operated the profitable business while also treating his workers well.  For example, he provided basic education and healthcare to his workers while also paying them a decent wage.  He proved it was possible for wealthy owners to still make a healthy profit while sharing their wealth with their workers.  The growth of these socialist movements was significant because of the impact they had on the world in the decades and centuries that followed.  For example, throughout the 20th century socialist ideologies transformed classical liberal societies and laissez-faire capitalism to a more mixed economy based upon the principles of the welfare state and modern liberalism.  As such, most modern democracies include elements from both sides of the economic spectrum.

Karl Marx

Robert Owen

Child Labor in the Industrial Revolution

Another feature of the Industrial Revolution that has left an impact on the world was the emergence and growth of labor unions.  A labor union is a group of people within a particular job or industry that join together to fight for improved working conditions.  During the time period of the Industrial Revolution, working-class people were often exploited by wealthy owners.  As stated in the previous paragraph, the dominant ideology of the Industrial Revolution centered on individualistic values such as classical liberalism and laissez-faire capitalism.  As such, there were very few government regulations in place to protect workers.  Out of this emerged different socialist movements that focused on improving the lives and conditions for industrial workers.  At the same time, the idea of labor unions became popular across industrial societies.  Workers formed and used unions in order to protest for a variety of things, including: shorter hours of work, higher rates of pay, safe working conditions, basic education and healthcare.  Today, labor unions remain an important part of many modern democratic societies.  They continue to fight for the same things that workers did in the Industrial Revolution, and have played a vital role in improving life for workers.

The third impact of the Industrial Revolution was the establishment of early feminist movements and the role of the revolution on women.  The Industrial Revolution had a profound impact on the lives of women.  Before the advent of industrialization women were often tasked with traditional jobs such as making and repairing clothing.  However, since the textile industry benefitted greatly from the numerous inventions that were created during the time period, clothing shifted from a traditional role of women to a mass produced good in factories.  As a result of their shifting role, women entered the workforce in textile mills and coal mines in large numbers.  Women were not valued the same as men in the workplace, and were therefore often paid much less than men.  For example, while male British industrial workers were often paid 10 shillings per week, women were paid half that.  At the same time, socialist values were emerging in the Industrial Revolution, as workers began to protest and fight for more equal rights.  The early feminist movements also emerged out of this time period, as women began to organize and protest for more equality in society.  One of the first things that women began to fight for was the right to vote.  Throughout the 1800s, women were denied the right to vote, but this changed in most industrial societies in the early 1900s, as the governments began to extend rights to women.  Today, the feminist movement continues as women fight for equal pay, maternity rights and more.

Women in the Industrial Revolution

Richard Arkwright

Eli Whitney

One of the final impacts of the Industrial Revolution was the numerous inventions and innovations from that time period, which still impact our world today.  The modern consumer lifestyles of people in most Western democracies would not be possible without the advances made in the Industrial Revolution.  For example, the textile industry benefited greatly from several important inventions.  The textile industry was based on the development of cloth and clothing.  Before the start of the Industrial Revolution, which began in the 1700s, the production of goods was done on a very small scale.  Historians refer to this method of production as the ‘cottage industry’.  Simply put, the cottage industry refers to a period of time in which goods for sale were produced on a very small scale, usually in a home.  In this system, people produced goods, such as wool, in their homes or on their own farms and then sold it to local communities since long distance transportation was uncommon.  In contrast, industrialization allowed goods to be produced in a central location and on a mass scale.  It also led to the creation of inventions that helped speed up the production method of many goods, but most noticeably in the textile industry.  Throughout the 1700s, inventors such as Richard Arkwright, Eli Whitney, James Hargreaves, John Kay and Edmund Cartwright, developed machines and techniques that helped improve production, especially in terms of the textile industry.  They allowed quick and efficient mass production which is a key feature of modern systems of production and trade.  As well, other key inventions, such as the telephone, steam engine, and automobile have transformed our modern lives.  Without these inventions, our society would lack the current convenience and efficiency that we enjoy.