The Social Impact of the Industrial Revolution - Essay Example

lution.  In reality, this eve began more than two centuries before this date.  The late 18th century and the early l9th century brought to fruition the ideas and discoveries of those who had long passed on, such as, Galileo, Bacon, Descartes and others. The birthplace of the industrial revolution was eighteenth century England, blessed with people, natural resources, inventions, and money, all of which were needed for industrialization.  The industrial revolution required both workers and consumers, both of which were supplied by Englands rapidly expanding population.

  Prior to the eighteenth century, population growth in England had been slow.  In 1700, England had less than seven million people, and its population was growing very slowly.  But by the first decade of the nineteenth century, its population had reached an unexpected eleven million.  Although the number of births rose during this period, the more dramatic change was in the death rate which dropped sharply.  The death rate dropped because of reasons such as more babies surviving child-birth, reduction in deaths due to epidemics and increase in availability of food.

  The growing number of people created an expanding market for all kinds of goods.  English industry met this demand first by finding ways to speed up the manufacture of the desired wares and second by building more factories to turn out more goods.  The growth of industry meant that more workers were needed.  The population that gave rise to increased business also provided the labor force to generate that increase (Corrick, 1998, pp.15-19). The industrial revolution gradually began to spread to other parts of the world.

  Countries such as France, Holland and Belgium also possessed some of the elements that triggered the industrial revolution in England.  Like England, Belgium had a growing population, good supplies of coal and iron, and centuries-old weaving industry ripe for mechanization.  Belgium used English technology