Summary of “The Chief Features Of The Industrial Revolution”

 Arnold Toynbee’s “The Chief Features Of The Industrial Revolution” deals with the historical period of the Industrial Revolution, pointing out the changes and improvements brought.

 The evolution of industries and farms meant benefits to the economy of the whole society: the decline of agricultural population, a fast diffusion of industries, means of communication’s changes and a fast population growth were recorded.

The decline of agriculture was due to the widespread of factories that characterized this period: the center of production changes from fields to industries. Common fields were enclosed : the large farm started to confirm her supremacy against the small digger’s farm. Inside the enclosure system new technics started to be experimented  for cultivation (such as the rotation of crops) and new means of cultivation experimented (such as machinery).

On the other hand, factories improved their productions thanks to the introduction of new machinery. The textile industry began to approve the use of the spinning jenny and water frames, Crompton’s mules and self-acting mules, which made the production faster and reduced the number of employees needed for a specific work. The iron industry used  machinery to rise spinners.' wages.

Also transportation means were improved: new roadsides and roads were built, new canals were created. This improvements made  England a country were trade  was faster and cheaper, with the opportunity to reach every corner of the country.

   The new English economy’s organization madethe distribution of wealth was not the same for all people. This made the differences between rich and poor population: rich people invested their money in improvements into enclosed fields or factories. Poor people wetre most of the times factory workers, getting very little of money from their very heavy work. The big gap  caused a rise of prices and social conflicts very frequently.

To reinforce all this different economists such as Adam Smith, Malthus, Ricardo and John Stuart Mills presented values, percentages and quotations as explanatory examples of the problems of Economic Sciences.