2.2.2 The Industrial Revolution

Due to the promotion of classical liberalism, the economic structure of Britain, than the rest of the Western world, underwent a dramatic transformation.


Photograph of Widnes in the late 19th century, showing the effects of industrial pollution, image from the Public Domain

Before the Industrial Revolution, most people in Europe lived under the feudal system. They were peasant farmers who did not own their own land but farmed common land or the land owned by the local lord, or they produced goods for sale in their own cottages or small workshops. Their daily lives were controlled by the Church and the local lord. After the Industrial Revolution, most people lived in cities, worked in mining and manufacturing industries, or farmed their own land. They owned their own homes, had the right to vote, and were responsible for their own lives.

The movement from feudalism to industrialization was largely a result of societies adopting classical liberal economic principles. Although eventually it brought huge changes in the lives of most people, change did not come without a cost. Examine carefully the drawing on the left. It depicts the living conditions of people during the Industrial Revolution in Great Britain.

The Industrial Revolution occurred in Great Britain from about 1750 to 1900 and spread to the remainder of the world. It is called a revolution not because it involved warfare or bloodshed but because it resulted in extreme changes in the social, economic, and political aspects of the lives of all citizens.

Several factors contributed to the Industrial Revolution:

The growing acceptance of science and rational thought to make decisions began to be applied to farming and industry. Great improvements were made to the production of food and manufactured products. These changes meant that fewer people were needed to produce or goods. People needed work and went searching for employment in towns and cities. Technology was used to build factories that mass-produced goods that could be transported on improved transportation networks including ships, railroads, canals, and roads. Important technological developments included the use of the steam engine, the cotton ginny, and road surfacing.
The Agricultural Revolution occurred in England in the 1700s. Land that was once publicly owned and used for common grazing of livestock was taken over by wealthy landowners for their private use under the Enclosure Acts. This meant that many farmers were forced from the land and into towns where they looked for work. As better and more efficient technology was used to farm the land, more food was produced but fewer workers were needed.
Wealthy land owners and industrialists wanted more freedom to own land, factories, and mines. When they became richer, they demanded more political power. As well, a wealthy middle class began to develop. These people began to demand greater political rights (including the right to be equal under the law and the right to vote) to accompany the greater economic freedom.
During the 1500s and 1600s, British merchants made huge profits from their trade with other nations. Tobacco, sugar, tea, and especially the slave trade between Africa and the Caribbean and America made many people rich. They were able to invest in these new industries. Raw materials from the colonies added further to their profits. The new class of British merchants and industrialists or entrepreneurs explored new ways to make money by taking risks and investing in new ventures. As well, nations began to compete for power and wealth, which led to nationalism and imperialism.


" "Coal, Steam, and the Industrial Revolution": Crash Course World History #32", Crash Course, You-tube

 

 




Read the italicized quoted sources on pages 102 to 103 of your text Perspectives on Ideology.


What kind of life do the sources describe in the textbook pages?
Does it seem like a world based on the fundamental principles of liberalism?
  • rule of law
  • individual rights and freedoms
  • private property
  • economic freedom
  • self-interest
  • competition

In the next unit, you will read about how society responded to the immediate effects of classical liberal principles being promoted during the Industrial Revolution.