This document provides an overview of Period 5 (1750-1914), characterized by the Industrial Revolution, representative governments, and rapid communications development. It led to revolutionary changes worldwide, including unequal relationships between colonizers and colonized. The Industrial Revolution began in Britain in the late 18th century and spread globally by the late 19th century, driven by new energy sources like coal, new inventions, and global trade networks. It caused massive increases in population and transformations in human societies.

1. P E R I O D 5
The Industrial Revolution

2. Period 5 Overview
 Period 5 is characterized by industrial capitalism,
representative governments, and rapid
communications development.
 The years from 1750-1914 witnessed revolutionary
change in all parts of the world, not only in those
that built factories and had elections.
 More than anything else, the formation of unequal
relationships of dependence between colonizer and
colonized changed the world as a whole irrevocably.
 In fact we cannot separate modernity from this new
global inequality.

3. Period 5 Objectives
 Evaluate how effectively each of the four Atlantic
revolutions lived up to the ideals of liberty and equality.
 Describe basic characteristics of the Industrial
Revolution, and explain major changes that
industrialization brought about worldwide by 1900.
 Explain that changes occurred gradually, at varying rates,
and not necessarily everywhere in the world.
 Analyze the concept of “progress.”
 Identify reasons why European countries became
colonial powers.
 Explain connections between nationalism, colonialism,
industrialization, and racism.

4. Industrial Revolution

5. Industrial Revolution
 Defined as: the multiple changes that followed upon
the systematic application of fossil fuels in the
place of human & animal power to
manufacturing, communications, &
transportation.
 Fossil fuels = coal, crude oil (refined to gasoline), &
natural gas  the intro of these new resources
resulted in a dramatic increase in innovation &
dramatic increase in production (manufacturing,
mining, building)  both changed social & economic
organization

6. Industrial Revolution
 Machines replaced hand tools; mass production in
factories replaced cottage manufacturing; fossil fuels
replaced water wheels and human & animal power 
which increased production on a vastly greater scale
 The new ways of life could be symbolized by
machines, factories, and smoke
 Its started in Great Britain in the textile industry –
newly invented machines replaced hand spinning &
the steam engine developed to power mechanical
looms  it later spread to iron & steel production
(Carnegie), then railroad & steamships (Vanderbilt)

7. Industrial Revolution
 The main process took fewer than 100 years; from
1780 to 1870  caused rapid changes in human
societies that fundamentally altered the way people
live (haven’t seen this type of change since the
breakthrough of agriculture 10,000 years ago –
which also produced new resources for energy &
production)
 The burning of coal & oil lies at the base of this
“revolution” which will provide dramatically higher
levels of energy & production never before seen in
human history

8. IMPACT ON POPULATION
 Can we take a guess as to what will happen to
populations?
 Agricultural revolution = increase in population but
was limited to the amount of land available & what it
could produce
 Industrial revolution = increase in population is an
understatement…world population in 1700 = 670
million; world population in 2000 = 7 billion

9. Global Context
 Unlike the Agr. Rev. which started in multiple places at
separate times, the Industrial Revolution began in one place –
Great Britain. WHY did it start there?
 The IR required some of these ingredients:
 Large quantities of extra capital ($) – Spanish silver for English slaves
 Lots of cheap labor, urbanization, & factory system
 New markets for goods – American colonies, African Coast, Indian
Ocean
 New inventions – spinning jenny, cotton gin, steam engine, etc
 A new source of power (coal, oil, natural gas, steam engine)
 New raw materials (vast timber resources in American colonies = ships!)
 An improved transportation system – shipping, steamships, railroad
 GB won the 7 Years War (French & Indian War) displacing France,
Spain, Netherlands = sole control of North America’s vast resources

10. Industrial Revolution
 Why not China? It developed an iron & steel industry in
the 10th century supported by coal.
 However, China’s rulers decided in 1433 to abandon their
trading expeditions abroad – private merchants
continued to trade but without gov’t support which
opened opportunities for Europe in the Indian Ocean
 Population reduced incentives for using machines
 Coal was in the north but most of econ activity in S.
 An attitude of experimentation & questioning of
authority didn’t develop like Europe (Enlightenment)
 China did not lie on the new circuit of the Atlantic trade
network (Triangular Trade)

11. Industrial Revolution
 From about 1250 to 1900 temperatures cooled in
many areas of the world know as the “Little Ice Age”
 It was caused by widespread volcanic activity & lower
levels of carbon dioxide & methane in atmosphere
 To keep warm, people of England burned more & the
small island ran out of forests!!! Which motivated
them to figure out how to mine coal efficiently.
 Coastlines & rivers made transportation easy & cheap
 Religious toleration (Reformation), attitudes of
experimentation (Scientific Revolution), challenge to
authority (Enlightenment)

12. Spread of the Industrial Revolution
 All industrial societies are descended form a
common British predecessor – each one taking its
own distinctive features.
 Although the IR in Britain happened from a
convergence of forces, it could be replicated in other
places by ENTREPRENEURS & strong gov’ts.
 The first imitators were geographically & culturally
close to Britain – Belgium, France, Prussia, & the US
– forming a 2nd phase; by the 1880’s, a 3rd phase had
begun in Russia & Japan

13. Spread of the Industrial Revolution
 As industrialization accelerated, large banks began to
play an increasing role in industrialization.
 The NEW U.S.A. enjoyed certain advantages unique
to the world at this time:
 it was empire that easily took land from Native Americans b/c
population decrease from disease – there was very little
resistance from an established “elite” or society
 Enjoyed relative isolation from European politics & war
 US industrialization began in the 1820’s b/c of 2 men –
Samuel Slater & Francis Cabot Cowell