| The Industrial Revolution refers to the | | | | is still by far the most popular type used in |
| period in the mid 1700's in which significant | | | | the world today.The automotive industry |
| advancements were made in the application of | | | | played a major role in the creation of wealth |
| our technological knowledge and discoveries. | | | | and the refinement of certain technologies. |
| It signaled a transition from an economy | | | | The assembly line production model was first |
| based on manual labor in agriculture to an | | | | employed during this period. While more and |
| economy dominated by industry and machine | | | | more people left the farm for the factory, |
| manufacturing. The first industrial | | | | their opportunities for upward social |
| revolution had a profound impact on modern | | | | mobility increased. People had more work and |
| society. Although there is some debate | | | | more money, and this led to an overall |
| surrounding the origins of the movement, most | | | | increase in the general wealth of the |
| agree that it began in Britain with the | | | | populace. Naturally, the automotive became a |
| invention of the steam engine.The steam | | | | symbol of one's wealth and social standing. |
| engine was powered by the burning of coal, | | | | These technological advances precipitated |
| which boiled water, and created pressurized | | | | some enormous changes in society.The ideas |
| steam. This pressurized steam was used to | | | | developed and realized in Western Europe and |
| power industrial machinery, primarily used in | | | | America, spread throughout the world bringing |
| the manufacture of textiles. The second | | | | immense social change. The industrial |
| industrial revolution merged with the first | | | | revolution played a central role in the |
| industrial revolution sometime around 1850, | | | | establishment of modern city centers. This |
| when the benefits of the first phase became | | | | was due mainly to the influx of agricultural |
| fully realized. The second industrial | | | | workers into the areas in which the factories |
| revolution was a direct product of the wealth | | | | were being built. The industrial revolution |
| and technological advancements created by the | | | | also had a profound impact on the legal |
| first phase.This particular era of the | | | | system of many nations, as legislation to |
| industrial revolution is characterized by the | | | | establish the rights of workers was |
| development of steam powered railways and | | | | introduced. Modern life would be very |
| ships. In the early 1900's, the internal | | | | different today were it not for the |
| combustion engine began to be used en masse. | | | | industrial revolution.Jim Staller is |
| Although the notion of a combustion engine | | | | interested in the history of industrial |
| had been imagined for some time, it was not | | | | manufacturing, with a keen focus on workplace |
| fully realized until 1860 when Jean Joseph | | | | safety. When he is not researching the |
| Etienne Lenoir produced his famous gas-fired | | | | latest health and safety information, he |
| internal combustion engine. This engine type | | | | writes for industrial101. |