The events of the Industrial Revolution

The present essay ia an account of the Industrial Revolution, historical process that caused radical changes on noneteenth century England and Europe.

This process caused the growth of two great systems of thought: Economic Science and Socialism.

Going on with the facts of the revolution, the first thing that is important to underline is the growth of population.

As a consequence can be noticed the declinein the agricoltural population, in order to better understand we can analyse some percentuages. As example in 1811 the agricoltural population constituted the 35% of English population, in 1831 the 28%.

The destruction of the common-field systemwas the essential reason of the decline.

As a result the development of the enclosure system was closely connected with the substitution of large for small farms. This radical change in the rural population brought positive improvements from the agricoltural point of view like the introduction of the rotation of crops, the invention of the steam-plough and the institution of agricoltural societies.

Next, passing to manufacture, the most important change consist on the substitution of the factory for the domestic system. The invention of the spinning-jenny, the water-frame, the Crompton's mule and the self-acting mule altered the character of the cotton manufacture.

Another important scientific invention was the steam-engine in 1789 by James Watt.

In any case the most famous invention of all was the power-loom but it is considered also the most fatal invention to domestic industry.

At first machinery raised the wages of spinners and the cotton trade tribled itself in few years.

These are the reasons why the period that goes from 1788 to 1803 was called "The Golden Age".

But the good conditions of the factory sistem originated the expantion of reade and consiquently the advance in means of communication. In England the canal system was being rapidly developed throughout the country. In the period that goes from 1818 to 1829 were constructed a thausand additional miles of turnpike road and the following year the first railroad was opened.

This development of means of communication caused an extraordinary increase in commerce.

But all these changes caused radical alteration in life. In the following years the new class composed by capitalist employers made enourmous fortunes. As a result the relation between masters and men disappeared.

The bad conditions of labour under the factory system, the rise of prices and the fluctuation of trades were some of the most important reasons of the misery of working people.

This is the reason why the Industrial Revolution is considered also a negative process which did not produced well-being.