What was the Industrial Revolution and why did it begin in England

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Industrial Revolution
Introduction
The Industrial Revolution in Europe played a role in shaping the world that we live in today. During the 18th century, a transition began in how industries conducted their processes. Overreliance on manual labor got abandoned in favor of machines. This mechanized factory system led to machine production and innovations. The machines required power to run; thus, there was increased usage of steam and water power. It began in England as they had vast technological inventions. They were also a strong nation with vast trading connections. Their colonies in North America, India, and the Caribbean helped in strengthening their political influence. These relations led to the creation and growth of businesses across England and its colonies subsequently leading to the major industrial revolution. Around 1870, rapid economic growth got witnessed due to improved technological innovations. This era commonly referred to as the Second Industrial Revolution involved the use of advanced machinery and technology which resulted in large scale production of products and machines themselves. The industrial revolutions had a considerable effect on England. Their textile industry grew rapidly, as the growing demand for clothes globally required satisfaction. Transportation and communication improved drastically as a result. Europe, the United States, and the globe would later feel the effect of the urbanization which was happening in England, both good and bad. This research intends to find out the effect the industrial revolution has had on countries and if its great effects outweigh its negative.
Methodology
The research was conducted through intensive research of the industrial revolution online and in books. The information was then analyzed to determine the importance, negative and positive effects of industrialization on Great Britain and the global community.
Findings
Great Britain and the global community has benefited greatly from the industrial revolution. Countries experienced serious economic growth as a result of industrialization. It optimized their resources, such as wool, and increased the quality and quantity of production. Industrialization increased the gross national product (GNP) significantly. According to Professor Kuznets, in 1949, the residents of the United Kingdom had income six times that of the world average CITATION Phy57 \l 1033 (Phyllis). Residents of Europe’s average income was twice the world average. The benefit of being one of the first countries to be industrialized was crucial as it created an economic gap. With no tariffs and quotas, private companies traded freely between the colonies and brought significant income. With other counties also getting industrialized at a high rate, trading and production of goods were at an all-time high to satisfy the demand. Other countries like Germany and the United States were able to catch up economically.
With the growth in the economy, there was a huge rise in income per person. The strong economy led to improvements in living standards. This aspect is contentious, however. There are many disagreements about this issue as some believe that the working class was overworked and underpaid while the capitalists got richer. However, in this day and age, it is clear to see that industrialization did affect the living standards of people. Countries that industrialized by the 18th century have better standards of living than developing countries. With towns coming up, services were easily accessible. One could worship, form political associations, and impactful social change. Better healthcare facilities and living conditions would later follow suit. The issue of living standards may not be clear, but industrialization enabled people to earn some income from their resources.
Trade was at its peak in England and globally. Transportation was key, and it improved just as fast — resources from farms needed transportation to the industry and the finished products to the markets. People utilized water transport to link tows as they built canals from mines and agricultural farms connecting them to city centers. Canals became one of the major improvements done on transportation in the 18th century. Local companies, the Turnpike Trust, had the mandate to maintain roads. People paid money to use roads and fund the improvements, but not everyone was pleased with the idea. Eventually, the government took the mandate, and they built roads that were smooth flat and hard-wearing roads. Railway transport also developed from using horses and wagons to the use of steam engines. The railway had a great impact as goods got transported faster and there was a major reduction in cost. Linking cities and colonies created larger markets and increased demand for products. People also benefitted from the system as moving from place to place was made easier.
The industrial revolution affected every aspect of employment with the ever-increasing high demand in the United Kingdom and globally. Factories were growing at a high rate, and they needed skilled and unskilled people to work in them. Men and women of all ages moved to the cities and sought employment. Given that the manufacturing machines run on coal, the mining industry grew as a result. Suddenly there was a need for people to work in maintenance, the building of machines, warehouses needed restocking. This necessity ensured that the people were employed all year in comparison to prior times when they relied on agriculture to make ends meet. Unlike today, the demand for workers was big, and it was growing. Unfortunately, this led to even children getting employed aged eleven or even younger.
The agricultural industry also benefitted greatly from industrialization. Although it already established industry, people employed in big farms were subjected to low wages while those working on their farms did not get that much income from their produce. With industrialization came new demand for produce and raw materials. Advanced tools, machines, and fertilizers were being used to boost agricultural production. With cities growing as a result of industrialization, agriculture remained the main employer in rural areas. The textile industry became highly mechanized, and improvements in the processing of weaving cotton followed. The mechanization played a huge role in the development of cities like Manchester. With cities coming up, land to practice agriculture became scarce, resulti...