The Industrial Revolution was a period of significant change in human economy that marked a major turning point in history. It was a transition from an agrarian and handicraft economy to one dominated by industry and machine manufacturing. The Industrial Revolution began in England in the 18th century and from there spread to other parts of the world. The development of trade and the rise of business were among the major causes of the Industrial Revolution. The British Agricultural Revolution is also considered one of the causes of the Industrial Revolution because improved agricultural productivity freed up workers to work in other sectors of the economy. The Industrial Revolution influenced almost every aspect of daily life, including average income and population growth.
The Industrial Revolution introduced novel ways of working and living and fundamentally transformed society. It ushered much of the world into the modern era, revamping patterns of human settlement, labor, and family life. The use of steam-powered machines in cotton production pushed Britain’s economic development from 1750 to 1850. Women and children were often employed in the textile industry during the first century of industrialization. Despite routinely working 16 hours or longer a day, they were paid little. For millions of working Americans, the industrial revolution changed the very nature of their daily work. Previously, they might have worked for themselves at home, in a small shop, or outdoors, crafting raw materials into products, or growing a crop from seed to table. When they took factory jobs, they were working for a large company. The repetitive work often involved only one small step in the manufacturing process, so the worker did not see or appreciate what was being made.
The Industrial Revolution is a complex set of economic, technological, and social changes that transformed the daily lives of people. It was a process of change that involved major changes in transportation, manufacturing, and communications. The term "Industrial Revolution" was first popularized by the English economic historian Arnold Toynbee to describe Britain’s economic development from 1760 to 1840. Although used earlier by French writers, the term has been more broadly applied as a process of economic transformation than as a period of time in a particular setting.
