A Revolutionary Recipe

"Industrial Revolution"
http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Industrial_Revolution.aspx

Last week my class was introduced to the Industrial Revolution and we explored the four "ingredients" of the revolution- people, technology, resources, and transportation. In the beginning of our lesson we watched John Green's Industrial Revolution Crash Course video (which I've embedded below), to get a basic idea of the revolution. These four ingredients combined made the Industrial Revolution "revolutionary", and I shall explain how below.

     The term Industrial Revolution is still mentioned quite a lot, even though it took place almost four centuries ago. The revolution had a huge impact in many fields, such as agriculture, manufacturing, transport, and technology. The revolution, starting in the United Kingdom, Europe, and North America, shaped the course of these nations, and eventually spread throughout the world. The human population grew drastically, along with the life expectancy rate, due to the agricultural advances and increase of other jobs in factories. Lots of mechanical devices, including steam engines, were invented during this time and resulted in efficient ways in the textile and transportation field. New chemicals were introduced to replace the natural products used, such as urine. The Industrial Revolution marked a critical point in humankind and influenced today's modern technology and living.
     One main "ingredient" for the Industrial Revolution was the people, of course. People put effort to improve agriculture by introducing several advanced agricultural techniques such as crop rotation and enclosure. Farmers created fertilizers from livestock to renew soil, increasing the amount of crop produced. Quality and quantity of farm products were the main focus of farmers during the revolution. Seed drills and dikes were designed to protect the land and use as much of it as possible. Enclosure forced peasant workers to find work in the cities, which affected the economy for the better. Due to the lack of need of peasant workers, profits rose for large fields. The agricultural advances boosted the life expectancy rate and increased population.
      Along with agriculture advances and increase in population, the industrial revolution excelled in the transportation and machinery fields, as well. The invention of the steam engine led to the creation of other powerful machines, such as steam boats/ships, house machines, and factory machinery. With the help of machines, production rates grew, giving the economy a boost, as well. The amount of labor performed in one factory was equivalent to the labor performed in the entire industry of a district. Steam powered ships and boats allowed transportation that was not dependent on the weather, unlike sailboats. The invention of railways and cars allowed travel and communication to improve, too.
     As you can tell, there were many key factors, or "ingredients", that added to this huge transition in society; there are too many to count. But without the Industrial Revolution the standard of living would be completely different and the impact it had on humanity was phenomenal.

John Green's Industrial Revolution Crash Course Video!!