The Industrial Revolution changed the lives of Europeans and the world forever. Perhaps more than any other period in the study of history, this movement shaped the world we live in today. Developments such as mechanized industry, the factory system, and lives driven by technology and clocks were all products of industrialization. The fact that you are able to read this description, and the fact that I was able to write and publish it, came from the Industrial Revolution.
In this unit, we will look at the following concepts:
Through it all, I think you will see the development of a society that looks very much like that of today. You'll understand why our concept of work and life revolves around the clock and why the American education system is set up the way it is. Perhaps most of all, you'll understand that widespread change never comes without its costs. The role of the historian is to determine whether the benefits outweigh the costs or vice versa.
In this unit, we will look at the following concepts:
- How and why industrialization began in Britain in the mid-18th century
- How industrialization spread to the continent (and the United States, but we'll downplay the USA in this course for now)
- The differences between British and continental industrialization
- The growth of population, especially in the cities, as a result of industrialization
- How industrialization changed the lives of the middle and working classes, both positively and negatively
- How workers and governments tried to reform society to meet the challenges and problems brought on by industrialization
Through it all, I think you will see the development of a society that looks very much like that of today. You'll understand why our concept of work and life revolves around the clock and why the American education system is set up the way it is. Perhaps most of all, you'll understand that widespread change never comes without its costs. The role of the historian is to determine whether the benefits outweigh the costs or vice versa.
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Homework AssignmentsAssignment 1: Origins of industrialization
Assignment 2: British industrialization
Assignment 3: Spread of industrialization
Assignment 4: Growth of population and cities
Assignment 5: New social classes
Assignment 6: Efforts at change
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