Although it is difficult to narrow down which gain is most significant from the Industrial Revolution, the importance of new technology cannot be understated, especially in regards to the steam-powered engine. From the very beginning of its development, the steam engine had a profound impact on multiple fields and occupations. Originally developed by James Watt in 1776, steam-driven engines could pump water from coal mines or drive machinery in textile factories (Hunt et al. 2012, 686). Both the coal and the textile industries benefitted from increased efficiencies due to the steam engine, allowing them to grow during this time of rapid industrial expansion. When George Stephenson developed steam engines powerful enough to pull wagons in the 1820s, the railroad system became the most effective method for transporting not only people and products, but also for moving coal and iron to factories (Hunt et al. 2012, 688). The development of the railway system using steam-powered engines transformed the layout of European states. By increasing industrial development in nearly every industry, it could be argued that the steam-driven engine is the most important invention of the period, and it certainly demonstrates the significant gains that came from new technology.
However, along with the technological advances made during the In
dustrial Revolution came unforeseen issues. While there were many political and economic issues that developed, it is perhaps the social issues that often accompanied urbanization that contributed most to the problems of the period. As a byproduct of industrial development, urbanization is not an undesirable trend in and of itself. Rather, the problem seemed to stem from the sheer number of people emigrating to the cities, which in turn were unable to support such growing populations. Overcrowding in the cities led to dismal and unsanitary living conditions for much of the working class, as well as contributing to disease outbreaks that claimed thousands of lives. Despite the standard of living increasing, many women and children now entered the workforce out of necessity, or otherwise faced starvation. Unfortunately, the middle-class viewed the working class as morally degenerate because of the circumstances of urban life, causing increased tensions between the classes (Hunt et al. 2012, 694). In the end, it is this disparity between the social classes that helped stoke the political and economic problems of the Industrial Revolution.
Hunt, Lynn, Thomas R. Martin, Barbara H. Rosenwein, and Bonnie G. Smith.The Making of the West: Peoples and Cultures, Volume 2: since 1500. 4th ed., Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martins, 2012