Library Guides: Industrial Revolution: Introduction

Source: Wikimedia Commons

The Industrial Revolution refers to the time period in Great Britain beginning in the 1700s when the manufacturing of goods moved from small shops and homes to large factories. This shift brought about numerous changes not just in Britain but across the globe as people moved from rural areas to big cities in order to find work. It also introduced new technologies, new types of transportation, and a different way of life for many.

The resources below will give you a more in-depth look at what the Industrial Revolution was, and the tabs along the top of this page will direct you to specific aspects of the Industrial Revolution, such as the causes of the Industrial Revolution, technological advances and working conditions.

The Industrial Revolution (Britannica, n.d.)

This comprehensive article from Britannica Online gives an in-depth analysis of the Industrial Revolution, defining what the period was and describing the main characteristics of the period.

Industrial Revolution (English Online, n.d.)

This website gives you an easy understandable overview of the Industrial Revolution.

The Industrial Revolution (BBC, n.d.)

A useful overview of the Industrial Revolution. use the arrows at the top and bottom of the page to progress through the pages. take note of words that are in blue as these will link you to more information regarding that aspect of the Industrial Revolution.

The Industrial Revolution: a timeline (The Victorian Web, 2012, March 3)

This website provides a timeline of some of the most important events during the Industrial Revolution.

Agriculture: the practice of cultivating the land or raising stock.

Assembly line: mechanical system in a factory whereby an article is conveyed through sites at which successive operations are performed on it.

Automation: the use or introduction of automatic equipment in a manufacturing or other process or facility.

Capital: wealth in the form of money or property.

Capitalism: an economic system based on private ownership of assets.

Competition: business relation in which two parties vie to gain customers.

Corporation: a business firm recognized by law as a single body.

Cotton gin: a machine that separates the seeds from raw cotton fibers.

Demand: the ability and desire to purchase goods and services.

Entrepreneur: someone who organizes a business venture.

Industrialization: the development of commercial enterprise.

Industry: the action of making of goods and services for sale.

Infrastructure: basic facilities needed for the functioning of a country.

Labour: productive work, especially physical work done for wages

Locomotive: a self-propelled vehicle that draws a train along a track.

Manufacture: put together out of artificial or natural components.

Mass production: the production of large quantities of a standardized article.

Mechanization: the act of using technology to automate a process or system.

Merchant: a businessperson engaged in retail trade.

Mill: a facility for manufacturing.

Monopoly: a market in which there are many buyers but only one seller.

Production: manufacturing or mining or growing something for sale.

Profit: excess of revenues over outlays in a given period of time.

Revolution: a drastic and far-reaching change in ways of thinking.

Spinning jenny: an early spinning machine with multiple spindles.

Standard of living: a level of material comfort in terms of goods and services available to someone or some group.

Steam engine: external-combustion engine in which heat is used to raise steam which either turns a turbine or forces a piston to move up and down in a cylinder.

Stock: capital raised by a corporation through the issue of shares.

Strike: refusal to work in protest against low pay or bad conditions.

Tenement: a run-down apartment house barely meeting minimal standards.

Textile: artifact made by weaving or felting or knitting fibers.

Union: an organization of employees that bargains with the employer.

Urbanization: the social process whereby cities grow.

Documenting the industrial revolution by Peter Hicks
Publication Date: 2010
Text and primary source documents, such as newspaper articles and personal accounts, provide an overview of the Industrial Revolution and explore the positive and negative changes it brought.
The economics book by Niall Kishtainy
Publication Date: 2012
All the big ideas, simply explained - an innovative and accessible guide to economicsBring economics to life with The Economics Book, an essential guide to more that 100 of the big ideas in economic theory and practice covering everything from ancient theories right up to cutting-edge modern developments.From Aristotle to John Maynard Keynes and beyond, all the greatest economists and their theories are featured and the innovative graphics, step-by-step summaries and mind maps help clarify hard-to-grasp concepts.The Economics Book is perfect for economic students and anyone who has an interest in how economies work.
Industrial revolution by John D. Clare
Publication Date: 1993
In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries a transformation took place in western Europe and the United States that so altered people's lives it became known as the industrial revolution. Look at the good and the bad sides of the revolution. The newly invented machines meant economic growth but the new factories were grim, unhealthy places. Investment in the new industrial companies, especially the railways, led to the growth of the stock exchanges but small investors often lost their savings. Scientific discoveries saved people's lives but have subsequently provided us with the power to destroy the world. It all began around 200 years ago but 'on the spot' photographs combined with a fresh and lively text bring this era to life for a twentieth-century reader.
The industrial revolution by Neil Morris
Publication Date: 2010
This book shows students how to find, evaluate, organize and use evidence on key topics, such as the origins of the Industrial Revolution, the importance of steam power and Robert Fulton's first successful steamboat voyage, conditions in urban New|York, and the growth of the railroads. There are extensive references to types of sources, including eyewitness accounts, literature, and photographs, and a range of examples and graphic organizers, including timelines.
The industrial revolution by Clive Gifford
Publication Date: 2009
The Who's Who of the Industrial Revolution features such characters as Samuel Slater, the Englishman who introduced the cotton mill to the United States, starting a revolution in the American cotton industry, and Rover Owen, a reformer who helped form the first trade unions in Britain to secure better conditions for workers.
The industrial revolution by Kevin Hillstrom
Publication Date: 2009
Discusses the history of the industrial revolution and its influence on the economic, social, and entrepreneurial forces that continue to shape the United States.
The Industrial Revolution by Tony Taylor
Publication Date: 2014
The Industrial Revolution has been developed especially for senior secondary students of History and is part of the Nelson Modern History series. Each book in the series is based on the understanding that History is an interpretive study of the past by which students also come to better appreciate the making of the modern world.
The industrial revolution : 1800-1850 by Pier Paolo Poggio & Carlo Simoni
Publication Date: 2003
Covers land, agriculture and nutrition; hygiene, medicine and population; living: environment and conditions; labour and protection; raw materials and energy; transportation; communication; economics and politics; social and political movements; and attitudes and cultures.
The industrial revolution : a very short introduction by Robert C. Allen
Publication Date: 2017
In this Very short introduction, Robert C. Allen analyzes the key features of the Industrial Revolution in Britain, and the spread of industrialization to other countries. He considers the factors that combined to enable industrialization at this time, including Britain's position as a global commercial empire, and discusses the changes in technology and business organization, and their impact on different social classes and groups. Introducing the "winners" and the "losers" of the Industrial Revolution, he looks at how the changes were reflected in evolving government policies, and what contribution these made to the economic transformation.
The industrial revolution : investigate how science and technology changed the world by Carla Mooney & Jen Vaughn
Publication Date: 2011
A review of the century that transformed the world from "make-your-own-everything to a society of manufactured goods, this activity book chronicles the development of the Industrial Revolution. Young readers are introduced to the individuals who led this radical change, learning how such a revolution affected the lives of everyonerich and poor, city dwellers and farmers alike. Beginning with the Industrial Revolution first taking hold in England, this guide follows its progression to North America, illustrating the many societal changesfrom civil rights to the growth of unionsthat came about as a result of a shift in the way goods and services were created and consumed. Retracing the era's evolution to include developments in transportation and communication, this handbook also covers elements of history, biography, and civics. Activity-driven enrichment projects that kids can do with minimal supervision include creating a water-powered wheel, designing a steam ship, building a telegraph machine, and making a pinhole camera.
The industrial revolution's workers and their lives by Don Nardo
Publication Date: 2009
Describes industrial life during the early years of the Industrial Revolution, including child labor, sweatshop conditions, and industrial life outside the workplace, and explains how labor unions worked to ease these harsh conditions.
The Industrial Revolution: age of invention by Nicolas Brasch
Publication Date: 2014
Discover an era where scientific discoveries were transforming human life.
Life during the Industrial Revolution by Anita Ganeri
Publication Date: 2015
This title introduces readers to life during the Industrial Revolution from a child's viewpoint. The book introduces general features of the time period, but focuses on what life was like for children, including where they lived, what they learned at school, and where they worked. The text is supported by primary source material (paintings, artefacts, quotes, etc.) that brings the past to life. A final section explains how we use historical evidence to reconstruct the past.
Life during the industrial revolution by Reader's Digest Association
Publication Date: 1995
Starting in Britain in the mid 18th century, the Industrial Revolution transformed the world and the way in which millions of people lived. Its effects were more revolutionary than any other developments in human history since the discovery of agriculture more than 5000 years ago.
Timeline of the industrial revolution by Charlie Samuels
Publication Date: 2010
Between 1700 and 1800, the world changed beyond comparison. A rural society became an urban, industrialised one. At the heart of the change was technological progress, from railroads to machines that produced goods in huge numbers. This book traces the process of change, explaining why it happened and its wider effects.