The “First” Industrial Revolution and European SocietyBefore the mid-18th century, most people lived and worked in the countryside. Women worked in their homes and sometimes helped men work together. Children also worked for their families, but mainly doing menial jobs such as farming and herding animals. The lifestyle has not changed much. However, during the Industrial Revolution, new resources such as coal and iron helped change people's lives and build several inventions and products such as the railway, the steam engine (used for trains and transportation). mining) and spinning jenny (cotton spinning) which boosted production. in Europe between the 18th and 19th centuries. Most historians assume that the Industrial Revolution began in Britain. Why did the Industrial Revolution happen in England first? Britain was “a small, secure island nation, with a robust empire and control of crucial routes across the oceans” (Cole and Symes 619). England had an efficient agricultural system that combined new techniques and new crops. Food production increased the British population, people from the countryside moved to cities or factories, and eventually the manufacturing industry grew. England had advantages in international trade because it was an island surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea. Well-developed banking and credit institutions encouraged businesses to take advantage of international trade, investment and technology. England improved specific industries, cotton manufacturing, iron and coal mining. Textile production increased during the Industrial Revolution. Britain was accustomed to importing cotton from India. Cotton became the most popular textile since it was...... middle of paper......Italism focused on economic movements while socialism and Marxism looked at workers. Karl Marx, a German philosopher and economist, argued that capitalism had created injustice between the middle class and the working class. Furthermore, class struggle, the conflict between the bourgeoisie (middle class) and the proletariat (industrial worker), brought social changes such as the French Revolution. The industrial revolution brought many changes. The industrial revolution made it possible to explore a new world more quickly, have more economic power and have a better life. Other countries in Asia and Africa could not have new technologies before the arrival of Europe. On the other hand, the industrial revolution caused many serious problems such as pollution, low wages, and urban overpopulation. We cannot judge that the industrial revolution had only positive effects, but it shaped modern life..