INTRODUCTION

Today, factories play a big role when it comes to trade and manufacturing. Everything from our computers to our clothes were made in and transported from factories across the globe. This is due mainly to the Industrial Age and the effects of industrialization. The transition from an agrarian economy to a manufacturing economy where products were no longer made solely by hand but by machines. Countries like the United Kingdom, Belgium, and France were quick to industrialize, followed by the rest of the world over time. Industrialization led to an increase in production and efficiency, lower prices, more goods, improved wages, and migration from rural areas to urban areas.

However, an argument can be made that the impacts didn’t stop there. The impact that industrialization had was massive. The effects of industrialization is more than just a footnote, but rather a major marker in human history. The succeeding historical events can mainly (but not entirely) be traced back to elements of industrialization, having both positive and negative effects. For more, let’s take a look at the activity below.

ACTIVITY

Let’s start by discussing industrialization outside of Western Europe and the United States:

Now let’s take a look at the concept of industrialization according to John and Hank Green:

Now that we have gone through this activity, let’s answer the following questions in the comment section:

1) What was a notable positive or negative impact from Industrialization that wasn't mentioned in the activity?

2) How does your perception of industrialization compare to Peter Stearns or the Green brothers?

3) Why do you think industrialization is such a profound moment in human history?