This revolution has created a great and radical change in the production structure and the economy of the country. The revolution that first started in England then spread to Northern Europe and North America. The revolution that first started in the iron and steel industry and the textile industry spread to all sectors in turn.
Machines and vehicles operating with steam power (ships, trains) were among the initial reasons of the Industrial Revolution, and later these vehicles and machines were replaced by electric and gasoline ones.
The Industrial Revolution was caused by the rapid increase of the European population, colonialism, steam machines produced with technological advances, the development of entrepreneurship and commercial law, the increase of industrial investments, the development of capitalism, economic and commercial rights and securing private property.
Results of the Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution has created results that deeply affect not only the commercial and economic structure, but also all areas of human life.
These results;
- Population Growth in Cities
- The Emergence of the Working Class and the Birth of Socialism
- The Spread of Colonialism
- Environmental problems
- Acceleration of Scientific and Technical Developments
- Increasing General Welfare
- Prolonging Human Life
It is collected under main headings. Each of these results are linked.
As a result of this revolution, intense migrations were experienced from rural areas to the city due to the opening of factories in the cities, while the population of the city increased rapidly, the lands in the rural areas were abandoned. As the number of people increased in the cities, the number of workers started to exceed the demands and working conditions and living conditions started to become difficult. Child workers started to be employed in difficult tasks. As a result of these negative situations, workers' struggle emerged and movements such as communism and socialism emerged.
On the other hand, the rapid industrialization caused the rapid destruction of agricultural lands and forests and air pollution.
Due to the developments and technological innovations in Western countries, the development difference between other countries has widened and the countries where the revolution did not take place became colonies.
These first 4 items are among the negative effects of the industrial revolution.
Positive Effects of the Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution has increased the general welfare of the people. While fatal diseases such as malaria, plague and fever have been eliminated thanks to the revolution, which also has a positive effect on the field of health, human life has started to increase gradually with the improvement of living conditions in the long term.
Another positive result of the revolution is the acceleration of scientific and technical developments. Economic development and enrichment have become both the cause and the result of scientific developments. As these developments enabled the enrichment of the population, more resources began to be allocated for the increase of scientific developments. The reason why there were so many scientific inventions in the 19th century is explained in this way.
Second, Third and Fourth Industrial Revolution
The first industrial revolution is the period in which the steel and textile sector is at the forefront, coal and steam engines are used, and it covers the first stage of industrialization.
In the 19th century, immediately after this first revolution, steam engines were replaced by products powered by electricity, oil and natural gas. In the second period, which started with the discovery of these fuel types, the invention of vehicles such as automobiles and planes took place. Thanks to these developments, the development of the economy and industry accelerated and the second industrial revolution period took place.
Beginning from the early 1960s, the gradual inclusion of computers in people's lives and the rapid development of technology provided the appropriate environment for the third industrial revolution to take place.
The period described as the fourth industrial revolution is happening today. New inventions that will completely change the structure of the first 3 industrial revolutions such as artificial intelligence, three-dimensional printers, robot technology, internet, and driverless cars allow the fourth industrial revolution to take place. The period we are in is defined as Industry 4.0.
So What Happened in the Second Industrial Revolution?
The Second Industrial Revolution, also known as the Technology Revolution, includes the serial production as a result of the development of technology and the reflection of this situation on the society.
The world witnessed many innovations in the Second Industrial Revolution, which was called the "Technology Revolution" and covered the period between 1860-1914. The Second Industrial Revolution, which dates back to 1860, when the cheap steel production method invented by British inventor H. Bessemer became widespread, with the Bessemer method, melted pig iron turns into steel with the oxygen of the air from below. The reflections of this period, which are formed by steel, train tracks, oil, electricity and chemical techniques, have shown themselves in Europe, the USA and Japan for a short time.
Machines during the Industrial Revolution were simple mechanical tools. Machines used to work with gears, pistons, belts and pulleys. During the Technology Revolution, the great discoveries made by the scientists of those years in the fields of chemistry and physics were transferred to technology. It was observed that the USA and Germany, which developed with the Technology Revolution, became the world leader. The introduction of electricity in factories and cities has affected production and social life. This started in 1882 with Edison's inventors. Mass production was started by transferring the electricity to the machines. The effects of the First Industrial Revolution were continuing in some countries such as Russia, Japan and Canada in 1914 during the Industrial Revolution, which had intense reflections in Germany, USA and England.
