Industrial Rev.

f Monumental, this is the word that can best describe the pivotal event we know in history as the Industrial revolution. It occurred during the period of 1760 to the early 19th century. Joseph A. Montanga in his paper The Industrial Revolution describes the it as a period in which fundamental changes occurred in agriculture, textile, metal manufacture, transportation, economic policies and the social structure in England. However it must be noted that though the revolution first manifested in England it soon penetrated the United Kingdom and further expanded through Western Europe particularly Germany and France and eventually set foot in North America. It is often considered the most important event in human history since the domestication of plants and animals. It also paved the way for prosperity in much of the Western world. The industrial revolution, however, indeed created many problems; poor working conditions, mortality and injury rates, child labour, women labour, specialization, brain drain, illiteracy, breakdown of family life, promotion of vices, religion, promotion of class polarization, urbanization and pollution.

These problems were created as a result of this new found capitalist infatuation with industry and such activities within. Predominantly, the nature of these problems which resulted from the revolution as highlighted previously are socially, economically and environmentally oriented. The following will discuss each of the problems created as a result of the revolution. Understandably, the Industrial revolution required a heavy labor force to run the factories in the various industries. According to Kenneth Morgan in his book, The Birth of Industrial Britain, Social Change 1750-1850, "Most domoestic industrial work arose from the seasonal underemployment in the British economy up to c.1830". He continues, "To compensate for underemployment, workers acquired skills in domestic industry to enable