Question

1) Describe the social and political revolutions that occurred in the Atlantic World between 1750 and 1850 -- how far reaching were the consequences of these revolutions?

2)  Why did the Industrial Revolution begin when and where it did?

3)How did the Industrial Revolution create changes for societies in the West?

Answer 1

• 1.The social and political changes of the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries have their roots in the devastating religious wars that wracked Europe in the seventeenth century. With the rise of Protestantism and the fracturing of the old uniformity of religion, in which the Catholic Church allied with Christian monarchs to create a ubiquitous system of power, Protestant countries began to clash with Catholic ones and people within countries with official religions began to emigrate.
• The spread of revolutionary ideas across the Atlantic world in the second half of the eighteenth century followed the trail of Enlightenment ideas.People disagreed over the meaning of terms such as liberty, independence, freedom, and equality. Ideas spawned the American and French Revolutions, which encouraged similar developments in the Caribbean and much of Spanish America.
• Between 1750 and 1850, most European colonies in the Americas became independent politically. In an indirect way these were the consequence of the fiscal crises caused by the Seven Years’ War (1757-1763) primarily between Britain and France. American colonists revolted against British imposition of taxes, and succeeded in a large part because of French financial and military support.
• Nationalism- idea that members of a shared community should have sovereign within the borders of their state
• Democracy- idea that people through membership in a nation, should choose their own representatives and be governed by them
• Unregulated economies would produce faster economic growth --> representation of the people --> struggle to create new political system
• Boycotts led to open warfare,declaration of independence was how announcement to rid themselves of English
• Social- issue of slavery- ideas of dignity and rights of free labor; liberty, equality, and fraternity.
• Between 1750 and 1870, nearly every part of the world experienced dramatic political, economic, and social change. The beginnings of industrialization, the American and French Revolutions, and the revolutions for independence in Latin America transformed political and economic life in Europe and the Americas. The most powerful nations challenged existing borders and ethnic boundaries. European nations expanded into Africa, Asia, and the Middle East while Russia and the United States acquired vast new territories.The American, French, and Latin American revolutions created new political institutions and unleashed the forces of nationalism and social reform.
• 2.All of these factors came together in the late 18th century to create the unique conditions in England that culminated in the first-ever Industrial Revolution:
• The Agricultural Revolution discussed earlier resulted in increased food production and increased population in England first.
• Population Growth, also discussed earlier, resulted in more people from the countryside being freed up to work for wages in the new cities,— and eventually increased demand for products such as clothing.
• Financial Innovations—such as central banks, stock markets, and joint stock companies—encouraged people, especially in Northern Europe, to take risks with investments, trade, and new technologies.
• The Enlightenment and the Scientific Revolution encouraged scholars and craftspeople to apply new scientific thinking to mechanical and technological challenges. In the centuries before the Industrial Revolution, Europeans gradually incorporated science and reason into their worldview.
• Coal and Iron deposits were plentiful in Great Britain and proved essential to the development of all new machines made of iron or steel and powered by coal—such as the steam-powered machinery in textile factories, and the locomotive.
• Government Policies in England toward property and commerce encouraged innovation and the spread of global trade. The government created patent laws that allowed inventors to benefit financially from the “intellectual property” of their inventions. The British government also encouraged global trade by expanding the Navy to protect trade and granting monopolies or other financial incentives to companies so they would explore the world to find resources.
• 3.The industrialization of the world changed the manner in which people lived and the way societies interacted in a variety of ways including quality of life, economic power and political repercussions. The landscape of the world morphed from a primarily agrarian culture to mechanical. The new industrialization required people to re-think the cultural norms and challenge the government to adapt to the new way of life as well.
  
• Industrialization changed society from agrarian to mechanical, meaning the majority of sustainable jobs moved to larger cities. This created several problems for the working class. Living conditions during the early phases of industrialization were poor.
• Cities, unable to handle the influx of workers, hastily erected poorly constructed and crowded apartment buildings or other residences. The workers often lived close to the factories and were surrounded by pollution more often than not. The work was also dangerous with little government oversight on new industries. Workers, having yet to form unions, had little bargaining power with managers leaving the workers vulnerable to unsafe conditions.
• The middle class had the benefit of expendable income for many. This was used more for entertainment and comfort than ever before, creating a new consumer demand driven market. New technologies also gave the working class more free time. The free time and closer association with neighbors drove the creation of the entertainment industry as a viable market. The darker side of the growing population in cities was racial tension and gang violence.
• Industrialization brought wealth to society. Trade and manufacture became increasingly important on a global scale. Consumer demand for products, brought on by higher wages and expendable income, fueled the cycle increasing financial gains for the economy.