History has seen many turning points that have influenced our world today. Many of these turning moments set the scene for world transition. While certain things were unchanged in Europe, the Industrial Revolution markedly changed everything. Between 1750 and 1914, Europe was transformed by the Industrial Revolution. It changed politics, society and economics. The Industrial Revolution’s effects and changes in Europe were all caused by the increasing role of women in the workplace and in manufacturing. The Industrial Revolution impacted Europe’s economic, political, and social trajectory for many years.
Europe pre-Industrial Revolution was largely an agricultural society. They had worked hard to earn money. Many Europeans came from farming backgrounds and have been living in rural countries for many years. The Industrial Revolution changed everything. Product automation was instrumental in increasing the speed of manufacturing. Because of the inventions of great inventors, automation was possible. James Hargreaves’ invention of the spinning jenny was in 1764. This device allowed more cotton cloth production to occur at once. James Watt and Matthew Boulton’s development/production of the steam engine also increased productivity. Power looms were a key technology of the Industrial Revolution. They used a lot of steam power. The power-looms enabled cloth production to be done faster and with less labor. While all these improvements made manufacturing more efficient, some aspects remained the same. Human labor was required in factories. The cotton cloth was made from the same materials. Britain still needed to import Indian cotton raw. Although production automation did improve over the period before the Industrial Revolution there were still some important elements that remained unchanged. Before the Industrial Revolution, most women stayed at home. They took care of the house, their children, and their husbands. The main purpose and role of women was to be a mother and loving wife. The Industrial Revolution changed all this. Women, who used to live with their husbands at home, now work from home. Women were still able to retain their jobs despite the fact that men started to work in factories. As children’s attendance at home declined due to free schools, women had more time for work and so many women started jobs as teachers, nurses, secretaries, or sales staff. The suffrage movements grew as more women sought to be eligible for voting and participate in the government. Although these advancements were a great help to women, they still weren’t considered equal. They were still looked down upon and considered inferior by many people. They were still required to care for the children, be mothers full-time, and work at their new jobs. Although women worked, they were not paid as much as men. The society believed that everyone should have a ‘family income to provide for their families. This was essentially a way for men to get paid more. Women were unable to make ends meet, and many had children. While women gained more rights during the Industrial Revolution, patriarchal views remained.
Europe was impacted by many changes during the Industrial Revolution, including urbanization. Urbanization was a massive movement of people away from rural areas and farms to urban areas. Many people were farmers before moving to cities. They would become farmers and work mainly from home. People moved to cities after the Industrial Revolution, which led to increased urbanization. The main reason was the large increase in population due to food surpluses. This increased labor supply allowed for more people to move to the cities and not just stay on the farms. New technology made it possible to find more workers in cities, which led to a decrease in farm demand. Despite the fact that many farmers left the country to look for work, this trend has not changed. While the country still required farmers to produce food, the technology had reduced the demand. The rate of urbanization increased dramatically during the Industrial Revolution.
From 1750 to 1914, Europe’s entire continent experienced major political, economic, and social changes. The Industrial Revolution saw many changes, including manufacturing automation, greater women’s rights, urbanization, and increased gender equality. These developments were possible because of amazing inventions, better understanding of equality, and the ability to efficiently feed Europe. Many of these developments have still had an impact on the world today. While there have been many improvements in Europe, some features of Europe remain the same. Many practices, professions, values, and beliefs had not changed, which was a major factor in the development of the revolution. The Industrial Revolution, despite retaining many traditional ‘traditions’, changed Europe’s economic and social trajectory for many years.
