Comment on the positive and negative effects of the British Industrial Revolution 论英国工业革命的积极和消极影响

Comment on the positive and negative effects of the British Industrial Revolution 论英国工业革命的积极和消极影响 Comment on the positive and negative effects of the British Industrial Revolution 谈论英国工业革命的积极和消极影响 Abstract:The positive and negative effects the British Industrial Revolution,including industry、environment、employment(women and children workers) and the effects which are related to other countries in the world,especially China. 摘要:英国工业革命的积极影响和消极影响，包括工业方面、环境方 面、就业(女工和童工)以及它对世界其他各国尤其是中国的影响 关键词:积极、消极、影响、工业、环境、就业、其他国家、中国 Key Words:Positive、 negative、 effects、 industry、 environment、 employment 、other countries 、China What is known to us all is that the British Industrial Revolution makes a big difference all over the world,especially in British and European and American continent.Just like everything has two sides,it brings us about so many advantages and some ill effects. The British Industrial Revolution took place in the middle of England in 1700s.It has a big effect on all the European continent.And it gradually sets in motion in other parts of the world.The British Industrial Revolution is also named the British Property Revolution.It is a great revolution which brings about a new tims in modern history of the world of produce and technology. The British Industrial Revolution is a long term which indicates the invention and appliance of various complicated machines rather than tools in production and variation from a ruralagricultural and commercial society to a progressive ruralindustrial society. Old ideas were modified, not swept away, and new ideas gradually took place. The changes forever change city life, social class structure, the power of the British nation amongst others of the world, the production of machinery, and the strength of the economy of Britain. This revolution is the work of birth, and also rebirth the Great Britain. From the 18th to well into the 19th century,the famous Industrial Revolution from where the greatest changes in several parts made a profound effect on the whole society in the United Kingdom, then subsequently spreading throughout Europe, North America, and eventually the whole world.It goes without saying that the agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transport, and technologyhave already undergone massive changes in the blink of an eye. The Industrial Revolution is considered amajor turning point in human historyalmost every aspect of daily life was eventually influenced to some degree. Most notably, the population began to display unprecedented sustained growth and thequality of people’s lives improved dramatically. As the words said by Nobel Prize winning Robert E. Lucas, Jr.,"For the first time in history, the living standards of the masses of ordinary people have begun to undergo sustained growth. Nothing remotely like this economic behavior has happened before."There is no doubt that the industrial revolution which originated in British would surely have the most effects on large sections of its society through new inventions, new legislation, and spawned a new economy.Work became more disciplined and mechanized, and began to take place outside the home. Women and children can take the place of some skilled tradesmen with the help of inventions. The movement of the exploding population to the cities from the countryside produced dramatic changes in lifestyle. At that time, resistance to the changes in the form of machine-breaking riots also appeared, but ultimately failed. At the beginning of the 18th century, the life could be characterized as very slow and backward. During this time, changes in technologies and commerce sectors were very imperceptible. And the population increase depended on the productivity, while the living standards maintained the same. At first, England was mainly an agricultural country; more than three-fourths of the population lived in rural districts. The cities except London were very small, even the second largest city Bristol could only boast a population of 30,000. Existing industry was mostly domestic, which means that the industry took place in the homesor cottages of the workers, so it also called “cottage industry”. Farming was the predominant occupation.Cloth manufacture was often a cooperative activity shared by all members of the family. Most products were made by hand, and the tools were old-fashioned, for instance, people just used spinning wheel and hand loom while spinning and weaving. The beginning of the Industrial Revolution There are debates on the exact sign of the Industrial Revolution. Many historians now believe that the Industrial Revolution began in 1709, the year in which a method for smelting iron with coal and lime was discovered, while others believe that at least by 1718, when a silk factory was equipped with power machinery. Of course, it was not until 1830, the industry had completed all of the technical changes which defined the Industrial Revolution. Every step added another link to the chain of an industrial evolution which amounted to a “revolution”. The causes of the Industrial Revolution It is a necessary result of the social development in Britain. The bourgeoisie in Britain accomplished its “primitive accumulation of capital” through plunder and expansion. First of all, the population increased in the 18th century. There was need for more food and goods. People had to find ways to increase production. Then, new machines were invented. They changed the way of production in farms and factories. Production was increased more quickly. This brought about the Industrial Revolution. Third, the Europeans set up more colonies overseas in order to open markets that were ready to absorb more manufactured goods. Fourthly, more capital was accumulatedfrom trade which provided the funds to pioneer the industrial revolution. Finally, in Europe feudalism was ended, so it was time to make some change. British advantages in industrialization In brief, the revolution occurredin Britain due to the stable economic, social, and political stability of the empire. First of all, British domination of the seas via a strong military force which refers to “Royal Navy of the empire on which the sun never sets”, gave it control of ocean transportation and trade.The fast growing monopoly on ocean trade helped to protect Britain profits. Secondly, the British people renewed their interest in scientific discovery and invention, as well as originality. Thirdly, British system of national banks heldclose to its financial security which provided with capital from investments and a surplus of the finances for which to use in commerce on the international scale. What’s more, Britain's government, a long-time constitutional monarchy, was just right for the situation. The government was flexible enough to support the new system and to a certain degree accepted as"invisible hand."Last but not least, Great Britain had a large educated workforce to run the machines and create manuals. The Enlightenment not only meant a larger educated population but also more modern views on work. Also, those colonies also provided captive markets for the abundance of new goods provided by the industrial revolution in Britain. The process of the Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution was a long period during which invention of machinery which could be applied to manufacturing processes. It first began in the textile industry. John Kay invented the flying shuttle (1733) and it speeded handweaving, creating demand for faster yarn spinning. Then it came to the invention of the spinning jenny, in1766, by the English spinner Hargreaves. In 1769, Richard Arkwright, a barber, patented a device for spinning thread by means of rollers. Then in 1779 Samuel Crompton drew on these two new devices and invented his mule which replaced hand labor altogether. Then Edmund Arkwright established a great factory by applying power-driven mules and power-driven looms (1784) and he became the Father of Factory system in England. James Watt (1736-1819) modified and improved Newcomer’s design in 1765 and produced a very efficient steam engine with rotary motion. Stephenson built the first steam locomotive in 1814 and the marked the beginning of a new stage of the Industrial Revolution.Because of the British national economic, political, and social state, the country was ready to surmount problems which brought from massive changes of the Industrial Revolution. Due to this revolution, new inventions and innovations contributed to a more modern outlook on life, self-improvement in the workplace, and got the benefits from a fantastic way of thinking. The people of Britain turned away from the past and look forward to effects of the revolutionary actions.Population Britain's population grew 280% during 1550-1820. With the advancement of industry, a new water system, which included a sewer and provided for running water in everyone’s homes, improved the sanitaryconditions of the city. And discoveries in medicine also provided better treatments of diseases and thus promoting the overall health of British society. So people lived longer than ever before. And also with new mechanized machinery factories had been built and used to product goods at a miracle speed. They often located in cities which lead to the migration of people from rural landscapes to an urban center. Social Structure The social structure of society changed dramatically during the era. As is said before, before the revolution the life is “cottage style”. With the process of industrialization, however, thing changed. The new enclosure lawshad left many poor farmers bankrupt and unemployed, and machines capable of huge outputs madehandicraftsmen redundant. As a result, there were many people who were forced to move to towns and cities in order to work at the new factories. It also meant that they made less money for working longer hours which added to this the higher living expenses due to urbanization, and it can easily be seen that many people’s resources would be extremely tight. Working Class In addition to already existing classes, the Industrial Revolution created a new working class. The new class of industrial workers included all the men, women, and children laboring in the textile mills, pottery works, and mines. Often skilled artisans found them degraded to routine process laborers as machines began to mass produce the products formerly made by hand. Generally speaking, wages were low, hours were long, and working conditions unpleasant and dangerous. Working Labors At the same time, women and children were sent out to work, making up 75% of early workers. There were many reasons for factory owners to employ them. First of all, they could be paid very little and be controlled more easily than men. What’smore, children were more adapted to the new methods. Since almost everybody in a family was laboring for up to eighteen hours each day, there was very little family contact, and the only time that one was at home was spent sleeping. People also had to share housing with other families, which further contributed to the breakdown of the family unit. As a result, children received very little education, had stunted growth, and were sickly. The living conditions were indeed horrible; working families often lived in slums with little sanitation, and infant mortality skyrocketed. During the early Industrial Revolution, 50% of infants died before the age of two. However, most classes eventually benefited in some way from the huge profits that were being made, and by 1820 most workers were making somewhat better wages. Fortunately, the governmentdid have to eventually intervene in order to put an end to child labor and other unacceptable practices. Factory system Factories had existed before the Industrial Revolution, but power machinery created a new system. Power machinery meant great efficiency, more goods and greater freedom for manufacturers to locate plants where labor was scarcer. Power was originally supplied by animals or water. During the 18th century, steam power, a far greater force, was harnessed by several inventors, including Thomas Newcomer, who invented the steam pump, and James Watt, who invented the steam engine. At the same time, during the industrial revolution, factories were criticized for long work hours, miserable conditions, and low wages. Children as young as 5 and 6 could be forced to work a 12-16 hour day and earn as little as 4 shillings per week.Finally the British parliament passed three acts that helped regulate child labor. Transportation The factories produced goods with greater efficiency, but required more raw materials and more fuel. This created a demand for better means of transportation. In the 18th century, wagons replaced pack-horse trains, and new roads were built. However, the roads were poorly constructed and it was not until the turn of century that macadam roads were built. A network of canals further improved transportation in the 18th century. The development of the steamboat and the locomotive engine in the 19th century greatly enhanced the speed of shipping raw materials and manufactured products. Economy Because of the increased production of machinery which further forwarded industrial advances in technology, the products of city factories became cheaper and more available. As a result, industrial businesses received more income from consumers’ purchases. Thus, the theory of capitalism developed, in which British factory owners, entrepreneurs, and other businessmen worked to promote more international commerce for Britain and support an increase in profits on British industrial goods. As a result, factory owners were able to provide their workers with higher wages and better working conditions.Capitalists provided the workers with the raw materials, paid wages, and sold the finished products. With the increase in goods the economy began to surge up. The only way for the industrial revolution to continue expanding was through individual investors or financiers. This led to the founding of banks to help regulate and handle the flow ofmoney, and by 1800 London had around 70 banks. As the price of machinery and factories climbed the people who had the ability to provide capital became extremely important. Britain obtained much capital from its many new international trading ventures with major nations, almost dealing with the exchange of new and improved industrial machinery. Thus, Great Britain grew to become the most powerful manufacturing nation and the strongest economically, in all of Europe. As British incoming finances grew and increased, citizens were able to move up the rungs of the social class ladder in British society, thus improving their financial and educational statuses. Politics Although Britain had become a constitutional monarchy several years earlier than the revolution, the vast majority of the population remained disenfranchised from the electoral system. As industrial strength grew along with a more forcible middle class, electoral reform was a necessity to balance the new society's power structure. Let’s look at the detail information about this. Before 1832, only 6% of the male population could vote - represented by aristocrats who owned large plots of land in the countryside and other property. By 1832, the middle class factory owners wanted political power to match their new-found economic funds - this resulted in the Reform Bill of 1832 which enfranchised 20% of the male population to vote. The Reform Bill also redistributed electoral districts to better reflect the large populations of city centers. Before, most of the electoral power could be found in the countryside where aristocrats owned vast properties. The middle-class became more or less satisfied, but workers were still not represented by the British electoral system.The industrial revolution was the driving force behind social change between the 18th and 19th centuries. England had already been well on its way toward becoming a major workshop of the world. During the century, human power was rapidly being supplanted by machine power; the domestic system was being replaced by the factory system; and a substantial part of the population was moving to industrial towns and cities. In my opinion, the industrial revolution playedthe vital role. First of all, it is not only the British industrial development to increase productivity, but also indicates the rapid development of science and technology. Secondly, the famous scientisthelped to reduce the workforce and enhance the industrial development speed. However, due to the industrial revolution, the consolidation of the economicbase and superstructure set up, but masses of people were still in poverty, unemployment. Cyclical economic crisis also produced a new social contradiction. Overall industrial revolution not only brings benefits to the people, but also for people irreparable loss. Though the Birtish Industrial Revolution brings about us a lot of advantages,it makes the world worse.One of the most important and serious is the problem of environment.With the development of science and technology,more and more polluted things are released to the world,such as the polluted water ,polluted air which is poisonous and warming air.As a result,water is polluted,air is polluted and the temperature is becoming higher and higher.A lot of ice-capped mountains is melting in the North Pole and the South Pole.And the revolution also brings the poor problem and more criminal activities. The British Industrial Revolution has a great effect on all over the world.And it changes the world greatly.I think it is the crystal of woisdom.Though it brings about so many disadvantages,it is a great event in the history of the world.In my opinion,it is changes that makes our world better and better. 参考文献: Shi Yi-hui《Studies of English Poor Children's Life in 19th Century 》 保尔?芒图(《十八世纪的产业革命——英国近代大工业初期的概况》 克拉潘(《现代英国经济史》 ]R. M. Hartwell. 《The Industrial Revolution and Economic Growth 》 Peter Mathial.《 The First Industrial Nation》 Neil J. Smelser.《 Social Change in the Industrial Revolution》 Clark Nardinelli.《 Child Labour and the Industrial Revolution》 B. L. Hutchins and A. Harrison.《 A History of Factory Legislation》 《生命列车》The Train Of Life 1. Not long ago, I read a book, 1. 不久以前，我读了一本 in which a man’s life was 书。书中把人生比作一次compared to a journey. 旅行。 2. The life of a man is just like a 2. 人生一世，就好比是一次hitchhiking，during which many times we go up and 搭车旅行，要经历无数次 down. Now and then things 上车、下车; 时常有事故will happen accidently, some 发生; 有时是意外惊喜，of which are to be unexpected excitement，while some 有时却是刻骨铭心的悲 heart-breaking sorrows. 伤… … 3. When first embraced the 3. 降生人世，我们就坐上了world，we are already on the 生命列车。我们以为我们train of life. We take it for granted that the first two 最先见到的那两个人 persons, our parents, whom ------我们的父母，会在人we are encountered with, will 生旅途中一直陪伴着我accompany us all the way. 4. Sadly，things do not go on as 们。 we thought.Our parents will 4. 很遗憾，事实并非如此。get off the train at a certain station，leaving us, bereft and 他们会在某个车站下车， helpless.Their love and 留下我们，孤独无助。他 emotion to us and their 们的爱、他们的情、他们irreplaceable company can be 不可替代的陪伴，再也无found in nowhere. 5. However，there will be 从寻找。 somebody else who will get on 5. 尽管如此，还会有其他人the train. Some of them will 上车。他们当中的一些人have special meaning to us. 6. Some of them may be our 将对我们有着特殊的意 siblings , relatives and 义。 friends, and we will also 6. 他们之中有我们的兄弟expereince the imperishable love. 姐妹, 有我们的亲朋好 7. Some of our travelling 友。我们还将会体验千古companions are quite 不朽的爱情故事。 light-hearted on the way. 8. While some may bear 7. 坐同一班车的人当中，有 immense sorrow.Still 的轻松旅行。 some ,back and forth, are 8. 有的却带着深深的悲ready to hold out their hands 哀… … 还有的,在列for others who need help. 9. Some people alight off the 车上四处奔忙，随时准备 train, yet they are still kept in 帮助有需要的人… … the mind of the other 9. 很多人下车后，其他旅客passengers for long;some, to the opposite, leave their seats 对他们的回忆历久弥 without being noticed. 新… … 但是，也有一些10. Sometimes, the one,who is 人，当他们离开座位时，dear to your heart, has huddled into another 却没有人察觉。 carriage. Nothing but one you 10. 有时候，对你来说情深义can do is just to keep on 重的旅伴却坐到了另一going, far away from him. 11. Of course, during the 节车厢。你只得远离他， journey, you may stagger to 继续你的旅程。 another carriage to look for 11. 当然，在旅途中，你也可him. 12. It’s a pity that you will never 以摇摇晃晃地穿过自己 seat yourself beside him 的车厢，去别的车厢找because the seat has been 他… … engaged by others. 13. Never mind. The journey is 12. 可惜，你再也无法坐在他 full of challenges,dreams, 身旁，因为这个位置已经hopes and departures--- but 让别人给占了… ... only one thing is that you can’t turn back. So, have a 13. 没关系。旅途充满挑战、 good journey with heart and 梦想、希望、离别… … soul. 就是不能回头。因此，尽14. Show your good-will to all the passengers you are 量使旅途愉快吧, encountered with, and find 14. 善待旅途上遇见的所有the merits of theirs. 旅客，找出人们身上的闪15. Remeber that someone may 光点。 oscillate just as we do in the journey. 15. 永远记住，在某一段旅程 16. We should understand others 中，有人会犹豫彷徨，因just as we need others’ 为我们自己也会犹豫彷understanding. 17. The enigma of life is:Where 徨。 shall we get off the train of 16. 我们要理解他人，因为我life?And how about the 们需要他人的理解。 companions beside us?And our friends?We don’t know. 17. 生命之谜就是,我们在什 18. Sometimes I think:When my 么地方下车,坐在身旁 time comes to get off the 的伴侣在什么地方下train，shall I miss it,I think 车,我们的朋友在什么I will.It is a suffering when I part with my friends.I will be 地方下车,我们无从知 sorry for leaving my kids 晓… … going alone.I firmly hold that 18. 我时常这样想,到我该下when we get to the terminal， 车的时候，我会留恋吗,we will have another reunion. 19. When my kids get on the 我想我还是会的。和我的 train of life, they have only 朋友分离，我会痛苦。让little luggage in their 我的孩子孤独地前行，我travelling bags. However,if I can leave the beautiful 会悲伤。 我执著地希望 memory in them,I will be 在我们大家都要到达的happy. 那个终点站，我们还会相20. After getting off the train of life, I will be content if my 聚… … fellow passengers will 19. 我的孩子们上车时没有remember me and miss me. 21. To you , the companions on 什么行李，如果我能在他 my train of life.May you have 们的行囊中留下美好的a good journey! 回忆，我会感到幸福。 20. 我下车后，和我同行 的旅客都还能记得我，想 念我，我将感到快慰。 21. 献给你, 我生命列车上 的同行者, 祝您旅途愉 快!