StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...

The Technological Stimulus of the Industrial Revolution - Assignment Example

Cite this document
Summary
In the paper “The Technological Stimulus of the Industrial Revolution” the author analyzes the period of 1780 – 1860, which has been viewed as one of the most explosive periods of economic growth in British history. The Industrial Revolution was primarily focused on the rapid expansion in the iron…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER96.2% of users find it useful
The Technological Stimulus of the Industrial Revolution
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "The Technological Stimulus of the Industrial Revolution"

Download file to see previous pages

The technology that continued to drive the Industrial Revolution came in the form of invention and innovation. The invention, and the implementation of the invention, was merely the first step in the process. It is estimated that the period of invention terminated in 1780 (McCloskey 251). All progress after that date was due to innovations on existing technology. Initially, the textile mills located their factories near sources of water that were needed to drive the water wheel technology. The introduction of the steam engine radically changed the economics of the textile industry.

No longer forced to relocate workers to the site of the source of power, manufacturers were free to build factories at the population centers that provided a ready supply of cheap labor. Aside from solving the labor issue, steam power was not subject to the changes in weather and seasonal variations that water was. Water was subject to drought and in the attempt to make up for losses in the dry period, water-driven mills were often forced to employ child labor during high productivity periods.

The loss of this labor source reduced the value of water. Though the cost of water may have been competitive, it could never reach the production levels of steam. Without the introduction of the invention of steam, the textile industry could never have reached an economy of scale.  However, there were some major differences in the economy of the production of iron. Iron experienced an unprecedented level of growth in production during the period of 1780-1860. However, it did not see an improvement in the productivity that was noted in textiles (McCloskey 251).

While the cost of textiles fell dramatically during this period, the cost of iron fell less sharply. McCloskey has attributed this to the rising cost of inputs, mainly coal, that were required in the production of iron (251). The production level of iron was spurred by improved technology, but an influx of capital could not significantly raise the level of productivity.The inventions and innovations also aided the high levels of production and improved productivity during the Industrial Revolution in transportation.

Transportation not only increased trade but also facilitated the transport of local raw materials and finished goods. While McCloskey puts the value of transportation during this period at about 6% of the national income, it may have been a resource whose dynamic effect is difficult to calculate (258). The development of roads and waterways was reflected in the overall cost of transporting cloth from a remote mill to a commerce center. The eventual reduction in the cost of transportation through technological improvements would further raise the level of productivity.

Transportation moved the finished goods and allowed for the importation of raw cheaper materials. Critics, however, have argued that the peripheral economic benefits of transportation, including the expansion of trade, amount to very little (McCloskey 258). However, even outside the textile sector, exports grew among almost all manufactured.

...Download file to see next pages Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(The Technological Stimulus of the Industrial Revolution Assignment, n.d.)
The Technological Stimulus of the Industrial Revolution Assignment. https://studentshare.org/history/1519198-the-technological-stimulus-of-the-industrial-revolution
(The Technological Stimulus of the Industrial Revolution Assignment)
The Technological Stimulus of the Industrial Revolution Assignment. https://studentshare.org/history/1519198-the-technological-stimulus-of-the-industrial-revolution.
“The Technological Stimulus of the Industrial Revolution Assignment”. https://studentshare.org/history/1519198-the-technological-stimulus-of-the-industrial-revolution.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF The Technological Stimulus of the Industrial Revolution

What factors have shaped the processes of globalization

Throughout history, globalization had had a number of bursts such as the time of great explorers, colonial experience, industrial revolution and transport revolution.... It is usually precipitated by facilitation of the global communications in technological advancements, political, environment socioeconomic developments (Guisinger 65-69)....
11 Pages (2750 words) Essay

Historical and Theoretical Issues of WWII

In the decade which followed the Second World War, industrial society became characterized increasingly by the role that the mass media played in determining the nature of its institutions, its organizations, its consumption patterns and the life-styles of its populations.... The lesson presented by the prewar USA example that 'design sells' was learnt and digested and became one of the major strategies in most countries' programmes of industrial reconstruction and within international trading in the postwar period (Rogers, 1946)....
8 Pages (2000 words) Essay

Communication Technology

The revolution is due to successive waves of technological innovations each of which alters the capacity for society to inform, amuse, and persuade itself.... In one category are those definitions which limit the process of communication to those stimulus-response situations in which one deliberately transmits stimuli to evoke a response.... In the other category are those definitions that include within the area of communication stimulus-response situations in which there need not be any intention of evoking a response in the transmission of the stimuli....
13 Pages (3250 words) Essay

How Postmodernity effect my work(packaging design),how does it impact on my practice

The evolution of human society involves global movements that change the way our business organization and other public entities as well as the general population interact with each other and function with harmony and unity.... Modernism was the conceptual movement that facilitated… Postmodernism and postmodernity are two philosophies that impacted the transition in the 21st and the accelerated growth the information age This paper analyses these two concepts as well as providing a discussion on how they impact the packaging design & consumer behavior discipline....
3 Pages (750 words) Essay

Benifits and problems of the industrial revolution

With the onset of the industrial revolution, the… Of course, the neo-liberal economic system of today is very different from the earliest capitalist enterprises, but the core principles Describe two benefits of the industrial revolution and two problems it caused.... Make sure that your answer is not focused only on the early years of the industrial revolution.... With the onset of the industrial revolution, the then prevalent feudal social systems where gradually dismantled and a new economic dynamic was set in motion, which continues till this day....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

German history timeline 1848-present

A crucial event in this period was revolution of German states, which was also termed as ‘March revolution'.... The revolution was focused on dissatisfaction of people with autocratic political structure of independent states of the federation that inherited German terrain of past Roman Empire.... The union of Germany was regarded as the key objective of the revolution that happened during 1848.... For a majority of its history, Germany had been made up of independent territories and city states, which was… Presently, Germany is regarded as Europe's one of most developed nations, famed for its technological development....
9 Pages (2250 words) Assignment

The Beginning of the Modern Era in England

The paper 'The Beginning of the Modern Era in England' presents the period of the 'Reformation' at the beginning of the 16th century.... It must first and foremost be understood as a newfound belief in the 'progress' of humanity, whereby the 'golden age in the past'.... hellip; The catalysts came from rebellion, from geographical expansion, from scientific discovery but mainly from the body of philosophical thought that was developing in support of man's individuality and rights....
8 Pages (2000 words) Case Study

Mechanical Engineering in General

he history of mechanical engineering dates back to the industrial revolution period where mankind was actively looking for alternatives that could make work easier.... the industrial revolution was characterized by the introduction of various machines that were used to facilitate the production of important products for human beings and also to boost existing agricultural activities.... nbsp;… The future of mechanical engineering depends on the economic and technological changes as well as other factors such as resource availability and interrelation with other crucial sectors in life....
7 Pages (1750 words) Essay
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us