HASS9 Industrial Revolution: Essay: Home

St Stephen's School acknowledges the contribution of

Mrs Maranne Purnell

the original creator of this guide.

The Industrial Revolution occurred between the late 1700s and the early 1900s. Originating in Britain, it was characterised by the introduction of machines for laborious work, the replacement of animal labour with human labour and the widespread use of mineral resources. Broader changes involved the concentration of workers into factories, mills and mines, access to fast transport and the emergence of the middle class.

The First Industrial Revolution, which occurred in Britain in the late 1700s and later spread to Europe, was prompted by mechanisation (as cottage industries gave way to factories and mills), technology (as the steam engine came to replace human, wind and water power) and minerals (as iron became widespread and coal overtook wood as the favoured fuel source).

The Second Industrial Revolution, which began in the 1860s in Europe, the US and Japan, saw great strides in the production of steel, railroads, electricity and chemicals, and was characterised by the mass-production and mass-consumption of goods.