The Impact of the Industrial Revolution in England
History has always shown that man had continuously struggled to foster development for the improvement of life and progress. This struggle had managed to trigger changes and events that led to the Industrial Revolution or the Age of Industrialization. The revolution had established Europe as a dominant industrial region and bolstered its economy, allowing its population to grow and prosper. In England, industrialization brought significant social changes that had transformed England to the mighty European hegemony it was known for and a society fit for further industrialization. Industrialization physically transformed England’s lands and waterways to become fit for commercialization and trade, but it had also triggered intense environmental impacts and religious change that affected not just its lands, but also its people.
Prior to the beginning of the Industrial Revolution of 1760-1850 or the period of industrialization in England, Cole and Symes (2014) stated that England had already established itself as a well-rounded and well-organize empire that has control over the region’s trade routes and resources. In addition to this, the country boasts the most advanced and commercialized agriculture system that can generate new crops and enclosures. As the British Parliament had ordered the “enclosure” of fields and pastures to become more commercial and productive, it had triggered a series of improvements that allowed wealth to flourish in the country. Since the wealth was readily available in the country, the Englishmen had slowly divulged into finance and began industrializing the market. By the 1750s, production had slowly increased by 7% and almost 30 years later, its merchant marine capability had aided the British market to establish itself as the world’s trade capital in the period and signaled further industrialization in the region.
The industrialization of England, or the Industrial Revolution, had paved the way to several changes within the English society: physically and environmentally. According to Arnold-Baker (2007), physically, the industrialization of England had enabled the people to produce goods they can trade in the market and acquire new technologies or materials to improve their preexisting techniques in agriculture, production and commerce. Many families moved to new towns and cities to bolster development and expand the market. However, there were also some Englishmen who did not like the used machinery and industrial improvements, such as the Luddites from Northern England. In 1811, the group resented the utilization of these mechanical devices for the textile industry and destroyed the looms. It is said that they also attacked these machinery factories due to the pricing of final products created. There were also issues when it comes to live standards for workers due to the inequality on salaries and benefits, especially those in heavy industries such as in machinery production.
Intellectual upheavals and the introduction of the sciences to improve industries had also been prominent within the industrialization period in England especially in the 18th century. People became accustomed in using the waterways and canals to transport bulk carriages. A growth in utilizing wood, coal or fossil fuel, metal and fabric had also been prominent in the period to ensure that land clearing, shipbuilding, house building and production is sustained. The woolen and linen industry had gained prominence in the period, especially for the female population as they handled spinning wheels that improved the country’s textile industry. Steam power had also been introduced in the period to power up the piston engine and heavy machinery such as the steam train in 1825 to 1856 through the Stockton-Darlington Railway that heavily improved transportation and trade especially from the English countryside. Lime was used to improve distilling and breweries, while some used lime to improve barley production. The country’s iron industry had also exported throughout the region, in order to boost infrastructure and industrialization not just in England but around the globe.
However, Moran (2011) argued that industrialization also had negative impacts, and it can be seen in the environment. Since land in England had been mostly used for agriculture and cattle raising, intensive and extensive cultivation puts pressure on the land as the land slowly loses its minerals and capacity to recover from intense farming and to graze. In addition to this, industrialization had introduced the use of fossil fuels, which became a major commodity for man. Since they do not have to complete with any other life form for this resource (such as with plants and animals), humans can use this resource for continuous production. However, with the vast amounts of fossil fuel use, it caused smog and pollution to fill the country and triggered the outbreak of disease especially for poor families living in London which gets worst in winter seasons. Richer Englishmen escape such exposure to smog in the city by living in rural estates that still retained a piece of nature. There was also a shift in the population, which then converted arable land into creating new homes and factories and reduced areas where food production can persist. Forests were also converted into agricultural fields, reducing the country’s forests.
Despite the negative impacts caused by industrialization, England still continued on to make sure that society remains in full swing towards further industrialization. As far as the government is concerned, Davies (2006) stated that many members of the English society – such as inventors, employers, managers and some policy-makers – believed it was necessary to find means to ensure that business and commerce continue to flourish and ensure that the government would not interfere in daily activity. However, this was difficult as the Parliament is divided into two houses, and its votes are unequally distributed. The House of Commons, for example, comprised two members for each county and their voting capability varies depending on their population and control. Famous manufacturing towns in the period such as Manchester and Birmingham did not have any representatives in the Parliament while small market towns like Appleby and Looe had two members each.
Given this inequality in representation, many called for government reform in order to organize the working class and the industrial employers. Several acts of Parliament had been created throughout the highlight of industrialization in the country such as the Combination Act of 1799 to make all agreements between workmen for bettering their rights illegally. This would ensure that workmen would not rally against the state and constitution as seen in the French Revolution. There was also the creation of the Iron Bill of 1750 to stop other manufacturing industries to produce in North America, butGreat Britain. There is also the Reform Acts of 1832, 1867 and 1884 which allowed unrepresented citizens to gain representation in the Parliament, especially the worker force and the agricultural laborers. Later on, this would be updated in 1918 to include women.
For the religious sector and the seculars, Sunder (2011) stated that the industrialization of England had changed the insight of many aristocrats and financiers as they believed the faith of the poorer and working classes were for the sake of progress. There were efforts to introduce back religion such as John Wesley’s Methodism – the predecessor of Evangelism – which aided the poor and the average person and taught the ideals of Jesus and serve the people. Methodists had also advocated the creation of hospitals, schools and soup kitchens while singing praises to the Lord. Wesley fought against the government in order to help the poor and transform the morality of the working class. Other religions had also grown throughout the industrialization in the country – such as Darwinism, the Enlightenment and Atheism – affecting the control of Christianity as science now questioned the integrity of its teachings.
It is no doubt that industrialization had changed England in more ways than one as it had launched several key changes in its society, policy and administration that improved its standing in history. As seen throughout the 18th century during the Industrial Revolution, the country had utilized its available resources such as in agriculture and commerce to improve the country’s financial capability and improved the lives of the people who could now be represented in Parliament and contribute to society. However, religion and the environment had taken a heavy toll over these changes, as religion had been challenged by new ideals and philosophies while the environment had taken huge tolls due to the use of fossil fuel and coal and the movement of people. Regardless of these negative changes, industrialization had ensured that England remains the main hub for trade and commerce in the European region.
Annotated Bibliography
Arnold-Baker, Charles. The Companion to British History. London: Routledge, 2007.
Cole, Joshua, and Carol Symes. Western Civilizations: Their History and Their Culture. London: W. W. Norton & Company, 2014.
In a specific chapter of the book discussing the Industrial Revolution, the authors expounded that Britain (or England) had already established itself as a well-rounded empire prior to the industrialization of the country.
Davies, Stella. Living Through the Industrial Revolution. Oxon: Routledge, 2006.
For this paper, the book provides a summary as to how the government was reformed in order to provide equal rights to the public - from the poorer classes to the aristocrats - especially in the Parliament.
Moran, Emilio. Environmental Social Science: Human-Environment interactions and Sustainability. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, 2011.
The book summarizes that the Industrial Revolution had paved the way to the discovery of fossil fuels and triggered several environmental problems to ensue in Europe and in Great Britain. Population movements and intensive agriculture had also caused environmental degredation in the period.
Bibliography
Arnold-Baker, Charles. The Companion to British History. London: Routledge, 2007.
Cole, Joshua, and Carol Symes. Western Civilizations: Their History and Their Culture. London: W. W. Norton & Company, 2014.
Davies, Stella. Living Through the Industrial Revolution. Oxon: Routledge, 2006.
Moran, Emilio. Environmental Social Science: Human-Environment interactions and Sustainability. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, 2011.
Sunder, L. Shanthakumari. Values and Influence of Religion in Public Administration. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications, 2011.
