How Did The Industrial Revolution Affect European Society

A traditional, labour intensive economy which was largely based on farming and handicraft described the European economy before the fifteenth century. (Dennis). Agricultural farms were very susceptible to environmental factors such as droughts, floods, pests and other adverse weather conditions. High levels of famine existed which in turn led to competition for scarce agricultural produce. This resulted in increased prices of food causing starvation among people in the lower class who were unable to purchase these highly priced foods.
The industrial revolution which began in the seventeen hundred affected European society in a number of ways. Firstly, it changed the manner in which goods were produced. According to Dennis, traditionally goods were produced in the home by family members. With the industrial revolution the method of production moved from the home to factories which contained large machines designed to increase production in order to meet the growing demands of consumers.
Subsequently, the establishment of factories resulted in a shift in job description. People began to work outside of the immediate confines of their homes (Stearns p.121).Laborers now had to travel to their work place which was usually a factory. A new set of skills vastly different from those required in agriculture was needed in order to be
Industrialization gave rise to the development of capitalism which was based on exploitation of countries in the Americas. It created new economic systems based on money instead of barter. Raw materials were exported from the Americas to Europe and completed goods and products shipped over to them. As machines were invented to replace human labour new sources of energy and power were also developed to drive these machines. Transportation and communication systems also improved. Industrialization also created a global system of trade between Europe, Africa and the Americas. (Student handout