Industrial Revolution: Hub Books

he book offers a chronological political history of the Industrial Revolution, as well as chapters on the major themes. Topics include developments in technology, the factory system and working life for men, women and children, education in factories and schools, the growth of industrial towns, and the effects of the Industrial Revolution on the military, ships and seafaring, rail travel, holidays and on local communities. Easy to navigate, each spread deals with a different topic and consists of maps, diagrams, artwork and photographs. Complete with timeline, glossary and 2-page index.

While we all know that large scale industrialization began in the eighteenth century, the Industrial Revolution truly began in Germany with Johannes Gutenberg and his printing press. His innovation made it possible to mass produce books, which spread literacy and knowledge all across Europe. It was in the eighteenth century, however, that manual labor was being replaced by what we today know as machines. First in Europe came Thomas Newcomen and James Watt and the steam engine. Then came John Kay and his flying shuttle, which led to the development of the textile industry. Then, in the United States, were Robert Fulton and his steamboat and Eli Whitney and his cotton gin. Finally, it was Henry Ford whose mass produced vehicles made cars affordable to all. The Industrial Revolution continues to this day as formerly less developed countries, especially in Asia, have taken to rapid industrialization to improve their economy.

The British Industrial Revolution has long been seen as the spark for modern, global industrialization and sustained economic growth. Indeed the origins of economic history, as a discipline, lie in 19th-century European and North American attempts to understand the foundation of this process. In this book, William J. Ashworth questions some of the orthodoxies concerning the history of the industrial revolution and offers a deep and detailed reassessment of the subject that focuses on the State and its role in the development of key British manufactures. In particular, he explores the role of State regulation and protectionism in nurturing Britain's negligible early manufacturing base. Taking a long view, from the mid 17th century through to the 19th century, the analysis weaves together a vast range of factors to provide one of the fullest analyses of the industrial revolution, and one that places it firmly within a global context, showing that the Industrial Revolution was merely a short moment within a much larger and longer global trajectory.

Read about the Industrial Revolution and how that societal shift has affected millions of lives. Just imagine how you would feel when you suddenly have to work with machines and live with the pollution. But the Industrial Revolution has paved the way for technology and modernization. Learn all about this interesting phase in history.

Examines the role women played during the industrial revolution by relating the stories of Elizabeth Fry, Florence Nightingale, Sarah G. Bagley and Mother Jones.