11.4    Industrial Revolution

In the aftermath of the French Revolution, when Napoleon was holding the entire Europe to ransom, another revolution which was destined to affect the history of mankind was taking place in England. This was the Industrial Revolution. Industrial Revolution refers to the adoption of a system of producing commodities on a large scale in huge factories. This was opposed to the old system of making goods in the cottages or workshops by the artisans.

The first phase of the Revolution was the appearance of certain important inventions which revolutionised the cotton industry. The use of steam helped to abandon the old method of smelting iron by means of charcoal. The coal and iron industries made rapid progress. Then the means of communication made great strides.

Locomotive, the first passenger railway ( ), steam boat and use of electric telegraph ( ) came into existence. In a period of about a hundred years England was thoroughly transformed. San Martin The second Industrial Revolution (between and ) witnessed new innovations in steel production, petroleum and electricity. The whole of Europe and North America began to feel the impact of the first Industrial Revolution during this period.