The Industrial Revolution Essay, Research Paper

There are many similarities between the industrial revolution and the technological revolution that is still progressing as I write this paper. These similarities range from rapid growth to that it is improving ways of life, or is it? The technological revolution would have not even begun if the industrial revolution didn?t occur. Because after the industrial revolution, people thought that they had invented everything that they needed so they looked to science to improve their lives even more thus sparking the technological revolution.

The industrial revolution began in great Britain around 1750 and lasted until 1850. The industrial revolution was a direct response to the agricultural revolution. The reason why this is, is because in the agricultural revolution, it had so many inventions making farming easier and farming did not need all of the workers that it used to. Since there was a less need for farmers, the farmers would move to the city to find work which led to the industrial revolution. This was creating many more jobs, but was it a better life for everyone?

No, it was not. Life did not get better for everyone. Yea sure, all of these inventions made life easier for some, but it made it harder for others. like coal mines for example. The coal manufactured bricks, dyes, glass, other products, and it heated homes; thus making life easier for some. But for the ones that had to work in the mines thought differently. They labored half naked, labored in hot, underground tunnels with poor conditions, and lung disease ran rapid. Plus at any second the walls could cave in so there were frequent underground drownings; plus, many suffocated because of poisonous gases. Plus the working conditions were not good at all. The workers worked 12-14 hr days with 1 short break at lunch, worked 6 days a week in 80 degree heat, the factories were extremely dirty, there were low ceilings, locked windows and doors, poor lighting, and they frequently lost limbs because of the machinery. Also, because of the factory pollution they obtained lung and throat cancers a numerous amount of times.

Another negative note about the industrial I feel I should mention would be the fact that child labor was very common, but the children weren?t limited to hours like they are now. They would work from 6 am to 7 pm, they had low wages (10% of an adults? wages), they had weaker bodies, extremely poor conditions, managers would strap them if they messed up, and now since the whole family was working, mothers could not watch over them and raise them. Plus life expectancy went down dramatically. On the farm, life expectancy was 38 years. In the factories and cities, life expectancy was 17 years! The lives of the poor was also an issue. They had dark poor houses to live in, cramped conditions, orphans and unemployed were forced to live on the streets, 20 families shared 1 toilet and pump, disease like typhoid, measles, and cholera spread, and crime was very persistent.

But today it is very different in the problems we face. There are many more jobs today offered as in that the jobs are not as monotonous. There are a variety of jobs to choose from. You could work at a trash dump or you could be a ceo of a computer factory, even though it is very hard to get there but you could. Working conditions are very better today because there are laws against bad working conditions, but there are still sweat shops but those are starting to go down in number. Plus, the lifestyle of an average person is very different. Back in that day, after work, you would just walk home like a matter of yards away. Today you either catch the metrolink, the bus, or get in your automobile and drive home.

The industrial revolution and the technological revolution of today have many things in common. For example, more people are getting wealthy or wealthy people are getting wealthier, there is better communication systems, more jobs, more options for women, more vaccinations and cures for disease, transportation is more efficient, electricity and modern inventions, modern more efficient buildings, on some food, prices go down, work is done faster, family life is changing.

Some negative similarities between the two revolutions would be the income gap between the two classes, poverty and low wages, crowded living for some parts of the country, crime is still persistent, the population is rising, and there are many new disease.

So you have read about the many things that the industrial revolution and the technological revolution have in common. Are we narrowing down towards the end of our revolution? Or is it just beginning? Who knows what is in store for us? It is exciting to sit here and watch history make itself right in front of your face. We shall see what our future has in store for us.