THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

Causes & Effects

By: Molly Walker

Causes & Effects of Industrial Revolution

Population Increase (in Europe)

With the introduction of crops from the Columbian Exchange like the potato, nutrition vastly improved in European nations and the population subsequently increased substantially. This

new amount of people meant a larger demand for many products – and thus a larger supply, meaning the creation of the

Industrial Revolution to provide these necessary items.

Causes & Effects of Industrial Revolution

Adam Smith’s Laissez-Faire & Capitalism

Adam Smith, educated at The University of Glasgow, wrote The Wealth of Nations in 1776. His works chronicled how the

European government could augment their wealth by advocating certain economic policies. His philosophy of

“laissez-faire,” or “hands off”, relates heavily to capitalism, which became a driving force during the Revolution and

fueled the Europeans and Americans to industrialize. Laissez-faire removed barriers from factory owners and facilitated

their growth by eliminating and advocating the restriction of government-imposed laws that might hinder economic

growth.

Causes & Effects of Industrial Revolution

A new banking system

After the Commerical Revolution, Europe developed a new financial system that would fuel the new industry to take

place. Expansion had in turn created the concept of private banking, and new trading organizations also formed, like the Hanseatic League. Credit organizations and new government

promissory notes helped facilitate consumer spending.

Causes & Effects of Industrial Revolution

The Cottage Industry

As the 18th century waned, Europe was still primarily a farming oriented land. The harsh winters however made

agriculture a daunting task, so many people took up textile making in their homes to provide a little extra income. Such a modest industry became quite popular with urban merchants,

and thus the European economy was primed for the later Industrial Revolution by the boost in trade that

simultaneously occurred.

Causes & Effects of Industrial Revolution

The Sewing Machine (courtesy of Elias Howe)

With the advent of the sewing machine, patented in 1846, the average number of stiches per minute changed from 35 to

nearly 3000 – making mass production of textiles possible for Europe’s new booming population. This prompted the creation of “mill towns” (like Lowell in America) and offered women an

opportunity to enter the factory work force.

Causes & Effects of Industrial Revolution

Chartism

English working men banded together and encouraged new political reforms during the Revolution, including Chartism. Chartism demanded that there be universal male suffrage,

annual parliaments, vote by ballot, and abolition of the property qualification. Such a movement garnered much

support from the poorest of the European social classes who were still in economic depression despite the tough workdays

and dangerous jobs of the Revolution.

Causes & Effects of Industrial Revolution

Nationalism, Imperialism and Colonialism

With the Industrial Revolution came a boon in national pride, as well as the need to seek new markets for the abundance of

manufactured goods. Those countries subjected to the Revolution looked to overseas colonies and expansionism to rid

themselves of excess goods and to gain new sources of raw materials. The primary place for this expansion occurred in

Africa, which was almost entirely controlled by Europe by 1914.

Causes & Effects of Industrial Revolution

The Factory Acts

In response to the social and safety conditions created by the

Industrial Revolution raised by the Saddle Report in 1833, the UK

Parliament implemented a series of acts titled “The Factory Acts” that limited work hours, ordained that employers provide education and

lodging, required proper ventilation in factories, set certain child labor laws (no child under 9,

no children under 18 working night shifts, etc)., and dictated when

women would be allowed to work and for how long.

Causes & Effects of Industrial Revolution

Luddites & Luddism

Anger from workers became directed at employers who reduced wages and began to replace skilled workers with

unskilled workers who could be paid less and still work the new machines of the Revolution. This movement (in it’s

extreme) became known as Luddism, where angered workers would break into factories and demolish equipment. The events primarily occurred in England, and although most

violence was confined to factories, some of the chaos ended up inflicting injury on actual people as well.

Causes & Effects of Industrial Revolution

Broken Family Units

Because the Industrial Revoltion meant many family members would labor for nearly eighteen hours a day, family contact was much reduced and tenement housing meant squeezing families together. Child education suffered, nutrition could also suffer

and result in stunted growth, and behavior became an issue as proper parenting skills were neglected. (It would be wrong to

characterize all social effects as negative, however, for by 1820 most workers made better wages than before and mass

starvation was reduced with the advent of some health reforms for the slums.)