History scholars acknowledge the first industrial revolution began in Great Britain in the second half of the eighteenth century (1760) and lasted to some time between 1820 and 1840, bringing immense transformation of the economy by shifting production from hand-manufacturing into mechanized manufacturing (Musson & Robinson, 1969).
This transformation dramatically changed every aspect of human life and led to new social, economic and political ideologies. The present paper describes the societal, political, geographic and economic impacts of the first industrial revolution.
It is important to note that the description will sample some work and lives of key members of the Lunar Society, a provincial scientific society, because the society occupies an exceptional place in the history of the industrial revolution as its members were involved in actively creating an intersection between pure science and advancing technology to spur and sustain the revolution (Musson & Robinson, 1969).
On the social front, it can be argued that the first industrial revolution not only triggered rapid urbanization, harsh labour conditions, child labour and industrial pollution which threatened both human health and the natural world, but the working class became increasingly alienated due to city life, crime levels soared, and the social fabric that used to hold people together in the rural areas nearly melted down (Musson & Robinson, 1969).
But these are only the negatives. It can be argued that the scientific work of Lunar Society members Samuel Galton, Jr. (ornithology and optics) Jonathan Stokes (physician and botanist) and James Keir (chemist, geologist, chemical manufacturer) brought about processes that gave rise to comprehensive increases in production capability and would affect all societal needs, including food production, medicine, and clothing (Schofield, 1957).
The political front was impacted through: colonization of Asia and Africa by Great Britain to look for raw materials to feed the mounting industries; division of the world into two categories – the developed and the underdeveloped world; Europeanization of other countries as Europeans went across oceans to settle in foreign countries; enactment of several reform laws and Acts, including the enactment of Factory Laws in Great Britain to guarantee the health and safety of workers, and; the development of strong trade union movements to represent the needs and concerns of workers (Yavuz n.d.).
Lunar Society member Thomas Day (politics and metaphysics) was influential in charting the political course of Great Britain immediately after the initiation of the industrial revolution (Schofield, 1957).
The geographic impacts are best illuminated by the rapid population explosion immediately after the initiation of the industrial revolution, which saw an overuse of scarce natural and man-made resources (e.g., land, energy, forests etc) and increased environmental pollution due to numerous waste by-products arising from the factories (Musson & Robinson, 1969).
These consequences are still felt today in erratic rainfall patterns, global warming, pollution-initiated respiratory diseases, and uncollected industrial garbage (Yavuz, n.d.). Extant literature demonstrates that Irish landowner and inventor Richard Lovell Edgeworth, who was a member of the Lunar Society (Schofield, 1957), demonstrated to his tenants industrious habits that could be used to optimally utilize available resources without degrading the environment (Koditschek, 2011).
Lastly, on the economic front, Lunar Society members Mathew Boulton and James Watt contributed immensely towards the production of steam engines that were critical in transforming Britain into the world’s premier economy dominated by mechanized production and transportation (Schofield, 1957).
Another Lunar member Josiah Wedgwood was influential in initiating the ceramics factories that not only employed a huge number of people, ensuring they had money to spend, but also opened overseas markets. Overall, the industrial revolution increased the production capacity for goods and services due to mechanization, created jobs for workers and assisted them to live better lives (Musson & Robinson, 1969).
References
Koditschek, T (2011). Liberalism, imperialism, and the historical imagination: Ninetieth-century visions of a greater Britain. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Musson, A.E., & Robinson, E. (1969). Science and technology in the industrial revolution. Manchester: Butler & Tanner Ltd.
Schofield, R.E. (1957). The industrial orientation of science. ISIS, 48(4), 408-415. Web.
Yavuz, E. (n.d.). The industrial revolution and consequences. Web.