Industrial Revolution for Kids | A simple yet comprehensive overview

The Industrial Revolution Believe it or not, not too many years ago, people provided most things for themselves. They made their own cloth, sewed and made their own clothing. They grew their own food and hunted for the meat they ate. If a person had a skill, like woodworking or working with metal, or maybe sewing and spinning and weaving fabric, or trapping animals for their pelts and skins, that person would trade these goods and services for something that they could not do or did not have. This trading was called bartering. It was important to the way of life around the world. At one time, most people used hand tools or simple machines powered by hand or pulled by animals to make the things they needed for everyday life, from making clothes, furniture and other goods, to growing and producing their own food. It was hard work to provide the things they needed. Children worked, families worked, and the elderly worked, as they were physically able. They worked hard, or they did not eat, or have any clothes to wear, or have a shelter to protect them from the elements. The Industrial Revolution, which began in the late 1700s and continued to the 1800s, changed the world. The Industrial Revolution represents the time when home production of goods began to be transferred to factories powered by steam and electricity, fueled by coal and oil, producing things in mass quantities and transporting things faster over longer distances. Through the ingenuity of men and women, their creativity, the expanding of their minds, the Industrial Revolution showed that they could take the resources that this earth had to offer and provide for the necessities of people around the world. The birthplace of this revolution took place in Great Britain, where there were many more resources such as coal and iron ore needed to power the machines inside the factories and industrial plants. Great Britain was sending and selling many of their products to the people of the United States. However, this all came to a halt due mostly to the Embargo Act of 1807, which ended the import and export of products from other countries. In addition, the War of 1812, when the U.S. went to war against Great Britain, forced America to seek ways to become more independent and not rely on other countries for products that they needed. The Embargo Act and the war led to the expansion of transportation, the efficient and additional use of electricity, and industrial processes that increased the production of goods in America. The Industrial Revolution brought many important events, inventors, and inventions. Think Eli Whitney for inventing the cotton gin in 1794. The cotton gin increased the speed of separating the cotton seeds from the fiber, which was normally done by hand using a spinning wheel. This was specifically helpful in the southern states, where hand-picked raw cotton had to be sent way up north, where it was then processed and weaved into cloth. The cotton gin made possible the removing of cotton seed much faster and processed more cotton in a day than the months it would take to do the job by hand. This led to the growth of the textile industry throughout the New England states. The cotton gin invention also helped Eli Whitney come up with the idea to use interchangeable parts, standard parts which would be used on different types of machines, and lower the cost and improve efficiency in manufacturing. The first interchangeable part Whitney produced was used for firearms used by soldiers in that era. In 1846, Elias Howe received a U.S. patent for refinements in the development of the sewing machine, which of course allowed for faster production of clothing and eventually resulted in most people no longer needing to make their own clothing at home. Other developments took place in the farm industry. Better machines were produced, such as the reaper in 1831, allowing the harvesting of grain to be faster and cheaper. In addition, John Deere invented the first steel plow in 1837, which helped farmers become faster and more efficient in planting and growing crops. Due to these improvements in farming, the increase in the number of factories, and the production of goods outside the home, people began to move from farmland into the cities across the country. They no longer needed to grow their own food, raise animals, or produce products at home. Unfortunately, the large numbers of people moving into the cities brought about new problems. Overcrowding and disease was taking place across many cities in America. There were not enough jobs for the people, poverty was found everywhere, and the cities could not support everyone. The overcrowding led to poor sanitation, causing diseases and other health problems, as well as violence stemming from the protests of workers against bosses who were paying very low wages. Some factories were even using child labor, which was finally restricted in the early 1900s. Yes, development and growth also bring problems, which provide opportunities for solutions. Despite the problem, other improvements were made in communication and transportation. The amazing inventor, Samuel Morse, successfully exploited the development of the telegraph in 1860, which allowed communication by wire using electricity and sending pulses of dots and dashes to communicate the letters of the alphabet from the East Coast to the Mississippi. The Cumberland Road became the first national road, beginning in 1811. River transportation was also improved through the invention of the improved steamboat in 1793 by American Robert Fulton. The steamboat needed a better engine, which was obtained from and built by inventor James Watt of Scotland. Another important improvement in transportation was the completion of the Erie Canal in 1825, helping the economy of New York and making it a center of trade for the country. The Transcontinental Railroad was completed in 1869 at Promontory, Utah, helping increase trade and travel across the United States. The railroad linked the most important Midwest cities with the entire Atlantic coast. It became much easier to move materials, products, and other supplies between the producers and the consumers. Carl von Dress patented his design of a contraption called the Velocipede, the first commercially successful two-wheeled, steerable, human-powered riding device. The Industrial Revolution inspired many other great inventions during the rest of the 19th century and well into the 20th century, including the light bulb by Thomas Edison in 1878, the telephone by Alexander Graham Bell in 1877, and the first gasoline-powered automobile by Carl Benz in 1885. The Industrial Revolution made real the dreams of what was and is possible. Today, everything we enjoy and need came through the great developers and inventors of the Industrial Revolution—automobiles, airplanes, cell phones, and even air conditioning—and things to help us live healthy, long lives—better foods, medical advances, ways to fight disease. All of these developments we enjoy today because of the struggles and challenges of the great men and women of the Industrial Revolution.