The Industrial Revolution was a pivotal point in British history that
occurred between the mid-eighteenth and mid-nineteenth centuries and led
to far reaching transformations of society. With the advent of
revolutionary manufacturing technology productivity boomed. Machines
were used to spin and weave cloth, steam engines were used to provide
reliable power, and industry was fed by the construction of the first
railways, a great network of arteries feeding the factories. Cities grew
as people shifted from agriculture to industry and commerce. Hand in
hand with the growth of cities came rising levels of pollution and
disease. Many people lost their jobs to the new machinery, whilst
working conditions in the factories were grim and pay was low. As the
middle classes prospered, social unrest ran through the working classes,
and the exploitation of workers led to the growth of trade unions and
protest movements.
In this Very Short Introduction, Robert C. Allen analyzes the key
features of the Industrial Revolution in Britain, and the spread of
industrialization to other countries. He considers the factors that
combined to enable industrialization at this time, including Britain's
position as a global commercial empire, and discusses the changes in
technology and business organization, and their impact on different
social classes and groups. Introducing the "winners" and the "losers" of
the Industrial Revolution, he looks at how the changes were reflected in
evolving government policies, and what contribution these made to the
economic transformation.
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