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Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution was a period in the late 18th century and early 19th century when major technological innovations changed the economic, physical, social, and political face of the world. It also gave rise to a number of philosophical and social movements including Laissez Faire, Utopian Socialism, Scientific Socialism, Social Darwinism, and Unionism.
During the Industrial Revolution, technological advances had a major economic impact as large numbers of people went to work in manufacturing, rather than agriculture. In the first wave of the Industrial Revolution (1750-1850), the methods of transportation and production improved dramatically. Where previously animals supplied power on land and sails supplied power by sea, the steam engine allowed for much more advanced transportation. The steamboat, developed by Robert Fulton in 1807, and the steam locomotive, developed by George Stephenson in 1814, utilized steam power for transportation. These innovations enabled raw materials and finished products to be moved more quickly, easily, and cheaply, and also allowed new ideas to spread more quickly. In production, the use of steam power and powered machines allowed for goods to be made by machine, which was much more efficient and cheaper than making goods by hand. Factories and the assembly line system also contributed to the speed and efficiency of production. The textile industry especially saw many technological innovations that increased productivity, such as the Spinning Jenny and the cotton gin. Due to the increase in the amount of goods being produced, many more people worked in manufacturing rather than in agriculture.
This move away from agriculture changed the physical appearance of the world in the form of urbanization- the redistribution of population from rural to urban settlements. The factory system that was widely used was the main factor that led to the rise of the modern city. As factories sprung up, housing was built...