The Industrial Revolution.
                     THE INDUSTRIAL 
REVOLUTION
Introduction
• The Industrial Revolution marked a period of development in the latter half of the 18th 
century that transformed largely rural, agrarian societies in Europe and America into 
industrialized, urban ones. 
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Revolution
• Goods that had once been painstakingly crafted by hand started to be produced in 
mass quantities by machines in factories, thanks to the introduction of new machines 
and techniques in textiles, iron making and other industries.
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First Industrial Revolution
• Fueled by the game-changing use of steam power, the Industrial Revolution began in 
Britain and spread to the rest of the world, including the United States, by the 1830s 
and ‘40s. Modern historians often refer to this period as the First Industrial 
Revolution.
Source: www.history.com
Second Industrial Revolution
• The second period of industrialization took place from the late 19th to early 20th 
centuries and saw rapid advances in the steel, electric and automobile industries. 
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England: Birthplace of the 
Industrial Revolution
• Thanks in part to its damp climate, ideal for raising sheep, Britain had a long history 
of producing textiles like wool, linen and cotton. But prior to the Industrial Revolution, 
the British textile business was a true cottage industry.
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Innovation
• Starting in the mid-18th century, innovations like the flying shuttle, the spinning jenny, 
the water frame and the power loom made weaving cloth and spinning yarn and 
thread much easier. Producing cloth became faster and required less time and far 
less human labor.
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Impact of Steam Power
• An icon of the Industrial Revolution broke onto the scene in the early 1700s, when 
Thomas Newcomen designed the prototype for the first modern steam engine. 
• Called the “atmospheric steam engine,” Newcomen’s invention was originally applied 
to power the machines used to pump water out of mine shafts. 
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Transportation During the 
Industrial Revolution
• Britain’s road network, which had been relatively primitive prior to industrialization, 
soon saw substantial improvements, and more than 2,000 miles of canals were in use 
across Britain by 1815.
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Communication and Banking in 
the Industrial Revolution
• The latter part of the Industrial Revolution also saw key advances in communication 
methods, as people increasingly saw the need to communicate efficiently over long 
distances.
• Banks and industrial financiers rose to new prominent during the period, as well as a 
factory system dependent on owners and managers. 
Source: www.history.com
The Industrial Revolution in the 
United States
• The beginning of industrialization in the United States is usually pegged to the 
opening of a textile mill in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, in 1793 by the recent English 
immigrant Samuel Slater.
• The United States followed its own path to industrialization, spurred by innovations 
“borrowed” from Britain as well as by homegrown inventors like Eli Whitney.
Source: www.history.com
The Industrial Revolution in the 
United States
• The beginning of industrialization in the United States is usually pegged to the 
opening of a textile mill in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, in 1793 by the recent English 
immigrant Samuel Slater.
• The United States followed its own path to industrialization, spurred by innovations 
“borrowed” from Britain as well as by homegrown inventors like Eli Whitney.
Source: www.history.com