Introduction for Chapter 20
20. The Revolution in Energy and Industry, CA. 1780–1850
>How did the Industrial Revolution transform the society and economy of Europe? Chapter 20 examines the causes and consequences of the Industrial Revolution, which took off around 1780 in Great Britain and soon began to influence continental Europe and the United States. Industrialization profoundly modified much of the human experience. It changed patterns of work, transformed the social class structure and the way people thought about class, and eventually altered the international balance of political power. It is quite possible that only the development of agriculture during Neolithic times had a comparable impact and significance.
LearningCurve
After reading the chapter, use LearningCurve to retain what you’ve read.
>What were the origins of the Industrial Revolution in Britain?
>How did countries outside Britain respond to the challenge of industrialization?
>How did work and daily life evolve during the Industrial Revolution?
>What were the social consequences of industrialization?
| ca. 1765 | 1829 |
| – Hargreaves invents spinning jenny; Arkwright creates water frame | – Stephenson introduces the Rocket, an early locomotive |
| 1769 | 1830s |
| – Watt patents modern steam engine | – Industrial banks in Belgium |
| 1775– |
1834 |
| – American Revolution | – Zollverein erected among most German states |
| ca. 1780– |
1842 |
| – Industrial Revolution; population boom in Britain | – Mines Act passed in Britain |
| 1799 | 1844 |
| – Combination Acts passed | – Engels publishes The Condition of the Working Class in England |
| 1802– |
1850s |
| – Series of Factory Acts passed by British government to limit the workday of child laborers and set minimum hygiene and safety requirements | – Japan begins to adopt Western technologies; industrial gap widens between the West and the rest of the world |
| 1810 | 1851 |
| – Strike of Manchester cotton spinners | – Great Exhibition held at Crystal Palace in London |
| ca. 1815 | 1860s |
| – Industrial gap between continental Europe and Britain widens | – Germany and the United States begin to industrialize rapidly |
| 1824 | |
| – Combination Acts repealed |