“The Chief Features of the Industrial Revolution” is a detailed account of the Industrial Revolution, a period which brought changes in agriculture, manufacturing, technology and communication in nineteenth century England. The argumentations of the text are developed into ten different paragraphs, each having a definite function.

While the first paragraph is a declaration of intentions of the writer, the second one gives us a clear definition of this revolutionary period. After this short explanation Toynbee reports the opinions of the four most important economists of the time quoting the titles of their works: Adam Smith, Malthus, Ricardo and John Stuart Mill.

The fourth paragraph deals with a description of events that occurred during the Industrial Revolution. First of all the writer put in evidence the rapidity which marks the growth of population using quality and quantitative data. Then he continues to describe a relative and positive decline in the agricultural population caused by three factors: the destruction of the common-field system of cultivation, the enclosure system and the consolidation of small farms into large.

The Industrial Revolution also brings improvements listed by the writer in the fifth, sixth and seventh paragraphs. We can find all of these improvements especially in textile and iron industry but also in means of communication. Regarding mechanical inventions in textile and iron industry we have the spinning-jenny patented by Hargreaves, the water-frame invented by Arkwright, Crompton's mule and the self-acting; but the most important without any doubt are the steam engine patented by James Watt and the power-loom.

The growth of the factory system, like Toynbee write in the eight paragraph, determinate an improvement of means of communication, in fact the canal system is being rapidly developed throughout the country, the road is greatly improved and comes the first railroad. Results of these chief improvements are the extraordinary increase in commerce and the substitution of factory system for domestic system.

In the ninth paragraph there are presented quantitative data about rise of rents on lands because of investments in improvements, effects of the enclosure system, consolidation of farms and high price of corn.

The author, after listing both positive and negative things, presents his own conclusion. In his opinion the Industrial Revolution is an important element in the development of society of nineteenth-century England but at the same time brings a high unemployment rate. Lots of workers are replaced by more powerful machines that provide lower costs to the owner.

In my opinion this essay is really effective because Toynbee presents argumentations on his own thesis giving us lots of informations about the causes, the consequences and the results. Toynbee's point of view is clear and detailed from the beginning of the text to the end, he is progressive but at the same time says that wealths of few people, in this case factory's owners, do not always coincide with welfare of others.