The Industrial Revolution was a loosely defined, worldwide event that took place during the 18th and 19th centuries. During this period technology advanced rapidly and the world went from relying on manual labor to the operation of machines to produce goods. Standards of living probably increased as well, but there were definitely social problems and new problems that emerged as a direct result of the industrial revolution. It set the precedent for the development of the middle class and the beginning of globalism. Inventions such as the steam engine, the cotton gin, and the power loom, along with new ways to mass-produce steel and iron, allowed the world to rapidly advance at a pace never seen before. The textile industry was by far the most widespread and profitable, and factories quickly sprang up in every city, thanks to the technological advances of the time. In the space of one hundred years the world has moved from manual production of all its goods to a mechanized industry which has brought with it many positives and negatives. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Britain, with its large untapped reserves of coal and iron, is where the Revolution began in the 1760s. With its fingers in most of the globe, in one way or another, Britain also had access to foreign resources with which to produce. It gradually spread throughout the world and especially affected countries such as the United States, Great Britain and Japan. The United States became perhaps the most important country in world politics with its military might and economic strength brought by the revolution. Britain became more of the same, and the alliance between the two countries produced many mutual benefits and ended up saving the world twice in the early 20th century. Japan, which until then had mostly been behind technologically, suddenly became a force to be reckoned with in Asia. The Meiji Restoration of Japan saw the country return to full monarchy and, with a renewed sense of patriotism and culture, also saw the country fully industrialize after in 1858 Japan finally stopped being an isolationist nation and began to connect with the rest of the world. The Revolution also contributed to the creation of a middle class, or bourgeoisie. Before then everyone was either very rich or very poor, with nothing in between. The Revolution created many new professions that were more profitable than hard manual labor, but did not do enough to make people rich. The growing need for record keeping has created more bookkeepers, bookkeepers and the like. The Revolution brought much prosperity to the world, but it also brought many hardships. Life for the poor could be terrible in cities, which were growing exponentially as a result of recent technological advances. The consequences of the lack of proper regulation on the labor sector at that time were disastrous and people suffered as a result. People could work more than half the day six days a week – there were no real labor laws until later. Furthermore, there were no laws against child labor until the 19th and 20th centuries. Children were useful to the factories that had sprung up everywhere thanks to their small structures: they could often reach or fit into machinery that adults could not. Of course, machinery was even more dangerous then than it is now, and many children were maimed or killed. Despite strong protests against the treatment of children in this industry, labor laws.