Module 7: Industrial Revolution and Its Impact

The Industrial Revolution, which started in England, had a profound effect on almost every corner of the Earth from the industrial powerhouses of Europe, the U.S. and Japan, to the far reaches of the planet. Many of these changes were a result of the new technologies that sparked the Industrial Revolution in the first place, such as the development of the steam engine which was used in factories and then transformed transportation as it appeared in trains and ships.

As new agricultural techniques made farming more productive, land became more valuable at the same time as farms needed less labor. The result was a growing population that was pushed off the land and moved to the cities in search of work.

Advancements in science and medicine altered the lives of people living in the new industrial cities. You examined how the Industrial Revolution placed new demands on the labor of men, women, and children while at the same time how it affected the structure and function of the family.

Although the growth of cities and factories contributed to a growing middle class, many of the workers worked for long hours under severe conditions. Workers organized labor unions to fight for improved working conditions and workers’ rights. Social dislocations associated with capitalism produced a range of economic and political ideas including socialism and communism.

With the Industrial Revolution came an increased demand for raw materials from the Americas, Asia, and Africa. Europe's imperialist foreign policies led to the expansion of its empires at the expense of the non-industrialized world. Imperialist powers tried to spread the economic, political, and social philosophies of Europe throughout the world, but not without resistance from these subjugated peoples.

As the industrialized nations looked to conquer more territory in order to satisfy the needs of industry and the growing nationalist sentiments in Europe, competition eventually came to a head with the start of World War I, which you'll look at next.