Industrial Revolution
Definition
The Industrial Revolution was a period of major industrialization and innovation that began in the late 18th century, transforming largely agrarian, manual labor-based economies into mechanized, industrial ones. It marked a significant shift in the means of production, economic structures, and social organization globally.
Analogy
Imagine transitioning from manually washing clothes by hand with a washboard to using an automated washing machine. This shift not only saves time and effort but also revolutionizes how tasks are accomplished on a large scale — similar to how the Industrial Revolution transitioned societies from hand production methods to machines, greatly enhancing productivity and changing life's pace.
Related terms
Globalization: The process by which businesses or other organizations develop international influence or start operating on an international scale, facilitated by innovations from the Industrial Revolution.
Capitalism: An economic system characterized by private ownership of the means of production and where prices, production, and the distribution of goods are determined mainly by competition in a free market influenced significantly during and after the Industrial Revolution.
Urbanization: The process where an increasing percentage of a population comes to live in cities and suburbs—a trend that was significantly accelerated by the job opportunities created by factories during the Industrial Revolution
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