The origin and development of the Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution, or industrial revolution, if the number is not explicitly mentioned, usually refers to the first Industrial Revolution, which began to emerge in Britain about the 1760s, marked by the widespread use of the steam engine, and continued until the mid-19th century. During this period, human production and manufacturing methods gradually shifted to mechanization, machines gradually replaced human and animal power, and large-scale factory production gradually replaced manual production, which triggered a scientific and technological revolution. Since the invention and application of machines became a distinctive feature of this era, historians refer to it as the Machine Age. So why did the Industrial Revolution first take place in Britain? From a political point of view, Britain was then politically stable. In 1707, England and Scotland merged into the Kingdom of Great Britain in the form of a confederation, and have been in a period of peace and stability since reunification. At the beginning of the 19th century, in the context of the French Revolution, the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland achieved a peaceful national union through a resolution of the Parliament, forming the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The United Kingdom covers roughly the whole of the British Isles. At the international level, after the Seven Years' War, Britain obtained large colonies in North America from France, Spain and other countries, and gradually occupied a dominant position in the expansion of colonies in the world. At the same time, the war against France in the early 19th century did not occur in Britain, which also provided a stable political environment for Britain's economic development. From an economic point of view, the unification of the United Kingdom laid the foundation for the formation of a single market within the territory. Within the United Kingdom, there were no barriers to trade, feudal fees and tariffs, and such barriers did not even exist between England and Scotland, which made the United Kingdom the "largest single market in all of Europe" at the time. In addition, Britain has a rich labor pool. During the reign of George III (1760-1820), he loved agriculture and encouraged the agricultural revolution to culminate in an unprecedented increase in the population of the countryside. This, together with the ongoing enclosure movement, provided ample labor for the Industrial Revolution. Britain's vast overseas colonies not only provided abundant raw materials for its industrial revolution, but also fueled technological innovation and the development of the financial industry. At that time, Britain made full use of hydroelectric energy and had the highest quality coal and iron ore resources in Europe. The abundance of these resources provided a solid foundation for Britain's Industrial Revolution. At the same time, Britain also made major breakthroughs in the financial sector. The establishment of the Bank of England, the issuance of public bonds and the reform of the financial industry marked the "financial revolution" in Britain. This provided the capital soil of large-scale and long-term funds for technological innovation, and provided strong support for the vigorous development of the industrial revolution. London is also emerging as a world financial center. The UK government also actively encourages innovation and supports free economic trade. As early as 1623, King James I of England established patents to protect the rights of new inventions, thus inspiring the emergence of many new inventions. This initiative provides protection and encouragement for the invention and creation of new technologies and new machines. With the decline of feudalism in Britain, the trade privileges enjoyed by nobles and large landlords gradually disappeared, while the bourgeoisie gradually emerged to promote the development of free trade. This led to the formation of a larger market in Britain, which further promoted the prosperity of industry and commerce. The traditional family-style manual workshop has been unable to meet the growing trade demand, people began to explore new production technology and production mode to increase output. The construction of the rule of law environment also played a key role in the development of the British Industrial revolution. After the Glorious Revolution, Britain established a more complete civil service system and vertical taxation system. Constitutional reforms have created a relatively credible rule of law environment to restrain government behavior, especially the guarantee of property rights and respect for contracts. This has provided strong support for the establishment of an efficient tax system in the UK, enabling enterprises to avoid excessive and excessive taxes, further promoting the development of the financial industry, such as the stock market, government bond market, corporate bond market, etc., and providing sufficient funds and institutional guarantees for the Industrial revolution. So how did the Industrial Revolution develop? It started with the cotton textile industry. In 1733, the mechanic Kay invented the "flying shuttle", which greatly increased the speed of weaving. In 1765, the weaver Hargreaves invented the "Jenny textile machine", which triggered a chain reaction of technological innovation, marking the official opening of the industrial revolution. In the Wuppertal Museum in Germany, there is a model of the spinning Jenny, which symbolizes a revolution in the cotton textile industry. Subsequently, advanced machinery such as screw machines and hydraulic looms also came into being, bringing unprecedented changes to this industry. Soon after, other industrial fields, such as coal mining and metallurgy, also began to gradually adopt machine production, which promoted the progress of the entire industry. At the end of the 18th century, the appearance of the steam engine completely changed the face of human society. In 1785, Watt improved the steam engine, providing a powerful and convenient power for production. The wide application of the steam engine further promoted the popularization and development of the machine, and human society thus entered the "steam era". With the gradual replacement of manual operation by machine production, in order to better manage production, a new form of production organization - factory came into being and became the core of industrial production. At the same time, the transportation industry has also ushered in revolutionary changes. In order to transport goods and raw materials more quickly and conveniently, people constantly transform and innovate the means of transportation. In 1807, the American Fulton successfully tested a steamboat powered by steam. In 1814, the British Stephenson invented the "steam locomotive", and in 1825, he personally drove a train with 34 small cars successfully tested. These innovations ushered in a new era of human transportation powered by steam. By the beginning of the 19th century, large machine production in the United Kingdom basically replaced the traditional factory handicraft industry, and the industrial Revolution was basically completed. As a result, Britain became the first industrial country in the world and led the development trend of global industry. Subsequently, the effects of the Industrial Revolution gradually spread to other countries. France was one of the first countries to be affected by the Industrial Revolution, and changes in the textile industry gradually spread to other industrial sectors. By the middle of the 19th century, the French industrial Revolution was basically complete and became an industrial power second only to Britain. At the same time, the United States began its own industrial revolution. After the 19th century, many inventions emerged in the United States, such as the cotton gin, sewing machines, tractors and ships. In particular, the adoption and promotion of standardized production methods for machine parts have greatly promoted the development of machine manufacturing and promoted the popularity of machines. By the mid-19th century, the United States had also completed the Industrial Revolution and became an important industrial power in the world. At the Eli Whitney Museum in Hamden, Connecticut, a model of a 19th century cotton gin testifies to the changing times. In some parts of Germany, the Industrial Revolution began in the early 19th century, boosting textiles, metallurgy, coal mining, agricultural chemistry, and rail transportation. Not only in Western Europe and North America, countries such as Russia and Japan also ushered in their own wave of industrial revolution in the mid-early 19th century. So, what impact did this revolution have on the course of human history? First of all, the Industrial revolution gradually replaced manual labor with machines, which greatly increased productivity and enriched people's material life. This change laid a solid technical and production foundation for the second Industrial Revolution, the electric Age, which began in the 1870s. Second, the Industrial Revolution profoundly changed every aspect of human life, including the way people travel, the way they work, the standard of living, and the quality of life. With the rise of cities and factories, the influx of people, urbanization and the emergence of urban areas have made the exchange of knowledge and information more convenient. Moreover, the Industrial Revolution was a profound social change. It led to the gradual disappearance of the traditional yeoman class, and the gradual rise and growth of the industrial bourgeoisie and the industrial proletariat. The rapid development of economy and the change of human life style have promoted the change of social system and the birth of new ideas. For example, the middle class is increasingly interested in democratic political participation, and the right to vote and stand for election has gradually expanded across Europe to cover a wider range of social groups. The plight of workers has also encouraged the development of social welfare systems and charitable institutions. At the same time, the left wing theory and thought represented by Marx gradually emerged. Finally, the Industrial Revolution greatly strengthened the connections between different parts of the world, changed the face of the world, and ultimately established the global dominance of the Western world, with profound effects on the societies and values of the Eastern world. Britain, which took the lead in completing the Industrial Revolution, quickly rose to become a world hegemon and led the trend of The Times.