The text is organized into ten paragraph plus an introduction which has the purpose to declare the intentions of the historian. The second paragraph explains what is Industrial Revolution which is the substitution of competition for the medieval regulations that had previously controlled the production and distribution of wealth. Competition can be defined as an economic law which regulates the price of goods in relation with offer and demand.

As a result of Industrial Revolution led to growth of two system of thought: Economic Science and Socialism.

Economic Science developed in England because of four great landmarks which are: Adam Smith’s “Wealth of Nations”, Malthus’ “Essay on Population”, Ricardo’s “Principles of Political Economy” and John Stuart Mill’s “Principles of Political Economy”.

The first analyzes the causes of wealth connecting to the methods to produce well-being.

Malthus discussed  the causes of poverty which can be summarized to growth of population and wealth not well distributed. Ricardo studied how wealth is distributed under a system of freedom. John Stuart Mill’s interest was finding a possible solution of distribution of wealth to reduce difference between the social classes.

In the following paragraphs the historian focuses the reader’s attention on the most relevant causes that led to the Industrial Revolution which are the agrarian revolution (due to 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 new scientific approach to industries and cultivation and the decrease in rural population.

The population moved from the country-side to cities in order to find a job, since cultivation needed less labourites because of the use of new machines. They found work in the mines and cities became bigger and bigger. New machines were invented in the industries-field too such as: the spinning-jenny or the power loom.

Paragraph seven discusses the growth of means of communication starting by the development in the canal system,  then to the road-system and finally to the built of the first railroad. As a consequence trade improved because of the easier way to commerce.

This paragraph eight study the problem of distribution of wealth. The enclosure system, the consolidation of farms and the high price of corn caused a rise in rents which is one of the reason of the misery of working people at that time. The other two reasons were the rise of prices and the fluctuation of trade.

Industrial Revolution led to a Social revolution based on the birth of two new social classes: the great employers who gained fortunes but took little part in the work and the labourers who worked hard but gained just a little money.

This injustice led to class conflicts and to a change in the political balance.

In conclusion Toynbee restate that even if Industrial Revolution caused many benefits such as the growth of population, a development in the scientific field and in trade, it didn’t provide all the population with well-being.