The industrial revolution began in Great Britain in the late 1700s and lasted over 100 years. It transformed manufacturing by introducing machines to mass produce goods in factories powered by steam engines rather than human labor. Britain was well-suited for the industrial revolution due to its natural resources like coal and iron as well as new technologies. While industrialization increased production and standards of living, it also led to environmental pollution and poor working conditions in overcrowded cities. The economic structure changed as more people moved to urban areas for factory jobs, wealth accumulated for industrialists, and a middle class emerged.