The document discusses the transportation of convicts from Britain and Ireland to Australia between 1788 and 1868 as punishment for crimes. Around 160,000 convicts were sent to the Australian colonies where they were forced to work under harsh and disciplined conditions. The industrial revolution in Britain had transformed the economy and displaced many rural workers, contributing to the rise in crime. While convicts faced difficult lives in Australia, some were able to establish successful businesses and farms after completing their sentences.