18th Century American Imperialism

As the 18th century began to fade away and the 19th began to dawn, revolutions began to occur that were not just political, but rather economical as well. The change in work and labor would come to later be known as the Industrial Revolution, and it would come first to the island nation of England in the form of factories and steam engines to fuel the economy. England would become the leader of the Industrial Revolution not because it wanted to, but rather because it was forced to under environmental pressures, political pressure, and the need to Imperialize the world. These factors would help press the need for new forms of manufacturing and lead to innovation and eventually modernization. As Britain continued forward in technological …show more content…
Imperialism is not a cheap hobby and the British realized that they would need more supplies to allow their military to function. Yet controlling massive parts of the world also allowed England to ship back materials such as cotton, teas, and silks from Asia and Africa which would later be refined back home and then resold around the world thanks to their immense Royal Navy. This ability to sell products would allow England to amass and create better and more efficient weapons to conquer numerous countries in both Asia and Africa. Britain’s Industrial Revolution is one of the largest impacts on world history right behind that of the First Agricultural Revolution that had occurred sometime around 10,000 BC. The Industrial Revolution would recreate social standards, would lead to labor laws, the relocation of populations, and the creation of some of the most innovative and destructive creations that mankind yet to create. All of this would be started on a small island that just a few centuries before had nothing more than a group of warring kingdoms and groups of …show more content…
The Industrial Revolution created the ability for people to own high quality things at a much lower cost than before because shirts, pants, underwear, and other material could be produced at a much faster rate. Yet for the everyday worker who made the materials that others bought the conditions were much worse than if they had decided to buy and work on a farm. They became seen as almost parts instead of humans in the massive machine that was the factory industry. It would not be until the government passed laws that forced better working conditions, and would help keep the employees somewhat protected. The changing roles that the Revolution brought was lead to an increase in the power of men while forcing women to take a backseat when it came to household power. While on the farm all members of the family contributed equally to the work, yet in the factories it was mostly men who had to do the dirty hard work which would lead to the belief that men should be in charge rather than their female counterparts. These ups and downs would lead the Industrial Revolution to be a double edged sword as it would greatly increase the wealth and stability of the economy, yet socially it would reshape the control of household power and leave average workers powerless over