About
The Industrial Revolution (1760–1840) began in Britain when the combination of coal, iron, steam power, and new manufacturing techniques enabled a shift from hand production to machine manufacturing. Cotton textile production, iron smelting, and steam-powered transportation transformed the economy and then the world.
Within a century, human productivity had increased more than in all of previous history. Cities exploded as rural workers flooded into factories; child labor became common; pollution became a public health crisis. The Industrial Revolution created the middle class, trade unions, communism (as a reaction), and the fossil fuel dependency that now drives climate change.
# Top 10 Industrial Revolution facts
- 1Britain's Industrial Revolution raised per-capita income by 300% in a century
- 2Child labor was widespread — children as young as 5 worked 14-hour days in textile mills
- 3The Industrial Revolution began the fossil fuel era that now drives climate change
Fascinating Facts
- ◆Britain's Industrial Revolution raised per-capita income by 300% in a century
- ◆Child labor was widespread — children as young as 5 worked 14-hour days in textile mills
- ◆The Industrial Revolution began the fossil fuel era that now drives climate change
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