This short essay is an extract from the Industrial Revolution written bu Arnold Toynbee, a very famous writer in 1884. The title of this essay is The Chief Features of the Industrial Revolution, so it is clear that probably the text is about the main characteristics of Industrial Revolution, maybe also causes, facts and consequences.

The extract consists of ten paragraphs of different length, the first paragraph is an introduction in which presents the Industrial Revolution, it developed in 19th century England and brought radical changes in the western world.

In the second paragraph the author gives us a definition of Industrial Revolution that is "the essence of Industrial Revolution is the ... distribution of wealth". He also writes about the growth of two great systems of thought: Economic Science and Socialism. Economic Science has four chief landmarks.

In the next two paragraphs Toynbee presents the facts of Industrial Revolution: growth of population and decline in the agricultural population.

Morover the next paragraph is an explanation of the causes of the decrease in rural population and they are: the destination of common fields system of cultivationof small lands.
Then he writes about the agricultural advange and the growth of industry that is caused by the mechanical inventions in textile industry, in iron industry and also new means of communication.
The Revolution was caused by the enclosure system, the consolidation of farms and the enormous rice in rents.

In the 9th paragraph he explains the social changes in manifacturing world and its consequences.

Finally in the conclusion the author summarize all the wrote before by stating and describing.

IMPROVED VERSION

Arnold Toynbee's essay deals with The Chief Features of the Industrial Revolution. It opens with an introduction, where the revolution is defined as an historical process. Also its economic and social consequences are illustrated at a global level.

The essayst goes on developing an argumentation in order to explain the radical change brought about by the Industrial Revolution. He explains it mainly consisted in substitution of competition "for the medieval regulations which has previously controlled the production and distribution of wealth". The consequences of this process ment the birth of two differents systems of thought Economic Science and Socialism that are extremely opposite one to the other. The development of Economic Science in England has four chief landmarks, they are connected with the name of one of the four great English economists: Adam Smith, Ricardo, John Stuart Mill and Malthus.
In the 3rd paragraph the author writes about the growth of population that was very fast, he uses statistics made between 1751 and 1833.
In the 4th paragraph the essayst makes a question that is "What were the agricultural changes which led to this noticeable decrease in the rural population?", then he explains the three most effective causes that were the destruction of the common-field system of cultivation; the enclosure of common and waste lands and the consolidation of small farms into large. The substitution of large for small farms was closely connected with the enclosure system.

Moreover in the 5th paragraph, Toynbee describes the agricultural advance: the breed of cattle was improved, rotation of crops was introduced, the steam- plough was invented and agricultural societies were instituted. Becouse of the high prices of corn which prevailed during the French war, some of the finest permanent pastures were broken up.

In addition to this, the prominent fact in this period was the substitution of the factory for the domestic system, there were four great inventions that altered the character of the cotton manufacture: the spinning Jenny, the water frame, Crompton's mule and self-acting mule. But the most important were the steam engine and the power loom. There was also a mechanical revolution in iron industry: the smelting by pit-coal and the steam engine to blast furnaces. Another element was the expansion of trade, an expansion which was itself due to the great advance made at this time in the means of communication, the canal system was rapidly developed throughout the country, a thousand additional miles of turnpike road were constructed and the first railroad was opened.

In the 8th paragraph is explained that there was a revolution in distribution of wealth, in agriculture the prominent fact is an enormous rise in rents caused by the enclosure system, the consolidation of farms and the high price of corn. However, it represented a great social revolution, a change in the balance of political power and in the relative position of classes.

Then, the author writes that social changes in manufactuting world were present, the farmers shared in the prosperity of landlords and made large profits by them. They ceased to work and lice in their laboures and became a distinct class. The misery of working people often was caused by: the condition of labour under the factory system, the rise of prices and the fluctuations of trade.

In conclusion the effects of Industrial Revolution prove that free competition may produce wealth without producing well-being. So here the author summarizes what he has explained in all the essay: causes, fact and consequences.

Annalisa Pez