The greatest turning point in history began with the Industrial Revolution. Between 1750 and 1914, the Industrial Revolution drastically changed Europe economically, socially, and politically. Before the revolution, most of Europe lived in small, rural communities where their lives revolved around farming. People would supply themselves with their own food, clothing, furniture, and tools, as times were tough and incomes were meager. However, the Industrial Revolution brought about new manufacturing processes, and thinkers and mechanics started to discover new ways of making labor and manufacturing more efficient. They thought of ways to improve iron and textile industries, and the systems of transportation and communication.
Textiles were at the heart of this revolution. Before there were factories or mechanization, textiles were made mainly in the homes of people, which caused a lot of problems and inefficiencies. In 1764, James …show more content…
Before the coming of the steam engine, raw materials and finished goods were carried and distributed by horse-drawn wagons and by boats that sailed along canals and rivers. But then in the early 1800s, Robert Fulton built the first successful commercial steamboat, which made the moving of materials faster. Steam ships increased England's reach around the world, and allowed them to find more natural resources and new markets for their products. At the same time, steam locomotives were coming into use, and the first railway steam locomotive was constructed by Richard Trevithick. Steam trains connected the urban centers and trade increased across the country. The cost of raw materials and finished goods decreased because of the cheaper freight, enabling more factories to be built, more workers to be employed ,who in turn were making money at work to spend in the economy, creating more growth. A cycle of growth and progress had