Industrial Age

See also:Industrial Revolution

Iron and Coal,1855–60, byWilliam Bell Scottillustrates the rise of coal and iron working in the Industrial Revolution and the heavy engineering projects they made possible.

TheIndustrial Ageis aperiod of historythat encompasses the changes in economic and social organization that began around 1760 inGreat Britainand later in other countries, characterized chiefly by the replacement of hand tools with power-drivenmachinessuch as thepower loomand thesteam engine,and by the concentration ofindustryin large establishments.

While it is commonly believed that the Industrial Age was supplanted by theInformation Agein the late 20th century,a view that has become common since theRevolutions of 1989,much of theThird Worldeconomy is still based onmanufacturing,although mobile phones are now commonplace even in the poorest of countries,enabling access to global information networks. Even though manydeveloping countriesremain largely industrial, the Information Age is increasingly on the ground.

Origins

Huge changes in agricultural methods made the Industrial Revolution possible. This agricultural revolution started with changes in farming in the Netherlands, later developed by the British.

The Industrial Age began in Great Britain in the mid 18th century and was fueled bycoal miningfrom places such asWalesandCounty Durham.

The Industrial Revolution began in Great Britain because it had the factors of production, land (all natural resources), capital, and labour. Britain had plenty of harbors that enabled trade, Britain had access to capital, such as goods and money, for example, tools, machinery, equipment, and inventory. Britain, lastly, had an abundance of labor, or industrial workers in this case. There are many other conditions that help show why the Industrial Revolution began in Great Britain. The British Isles and colonies overseas represented huge markets that created a large demand for British goods. Britain also had one of the largestspheres of influencedue to its massivenavyandmerchant marine.The British government's concern for commercial interests was also important. Thesteam engineallowed for steamboats and the locomotives, which made transportation much faster. By the mid-19th century theIndustrial Revolutionhad spread toContinental EuropeandNorth America,and since then it has spread to most of the world.

The textile industry

The cotton industry was the first industry to go throughmechanization,the use of automatic machinery to increase production. Thedomestic systemsprouted as a result of when businesses began importing raw cotton, employing spinners and weavers to make it into cloth from their home.James Hargreavesinvented thespinning jenny,which could produce eight times as much thread as a single spinning wheel, andRichard Arkwrightmade it driven by water. Later Arkwright opened a spinning mill which marked the beginning of thefactory system.In 1785,Edmund Cartwrightinvented a loom which was powered by water.

Steam engines

In 1712,Thomas Newcomenproduced the first successfulsteam engine,and in 1769,James Wattpatented the modern steam engine. As a result, steam replaced water as industry's major power source.

The steam engine allowed for steamboats and the locomotives, which made transportation much faster. By the mid-19th century theIndustrial Revolutionhad spread toContinental EuropeandNorth America,and since then it has spread to most of the world.

The Industrial Age is defined bymass production,broadcasting,the rise of thenation state,power,modern medicineandrunning water.The quality of human life has increased dramatically during the Industrial Age. Life expectancy today worldwide is more than twice as high as it was when the Industrial Revolution began.

See also

• Information Age
• Imagination age