The Industrial Revolution was a period between the 18th and 19th centuries that marked the industrialization and urbanization of Europe and America. Before the Industrial Revolution, most manufacturing was done in people's homes, using very basic hand tools and machines. The Industrial Revolution marked a new era of specialized, automatic, mass-produced machines. Many important advances, such as those in transportation and the invention of the steam engine, led to many future technological inventions, making the Industrial Revolution an important mark in history. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Before the Industrial Revolution, most people lived on rural farms, producing their own food, clothing, etc., incomes were small, and disease was widespread. common making life very hard for the common person. Britain's ability to become the cradle of the industrial revolution was based on a number of factors. It was rich in natural resources, particularly iron and coal, and Britain was politically stable and had many colonies from which it could receive resources and to which it could sell its goods. The textile industry was completely changed by the Industrial Revolution. Previously, fabrics were made in people's homes, however in the 1700s many innovations led to increased production while also requiring less human effort. James Hargreaves invented the 'jenny spinner' around 1764, this machine allowed multiple spools of thread to be produced at once and by Hargreaves' death in 1778 over 20,000 jenny spinners were in use across Britain. British inventor Samuel Crompton improved the spinning jenny design with his spinning mule and eventually other machines. Great advances in the iron industry were also very significant during the Industrial Revolution. Abraham Darby discovered a simpler and cheaper way to produce cast iron. Henry Bessemer also invented the first cheap way to mass-produce steel in 1850. Iron and steel were essential materials for building machines, tools, buildings, ships, and just about everything during the Industrial Revolution. There were also significant advances in transportation during the Industrial Revolution. Before goods were transported by horses and carts or by boats across canals and rivers. In the early 1800s, an American, Robert Fulton, built the first commercially successful steamboat, in the 19th century steamboats transported goods across the Atlantic. At the same time, steam locomotives also began to be used. British engineer Richard Trevithick invented the first railway steam locomotive. In 1830 the Liverpool and Manchester Railway in England was the first to offer regular, scheduled passenger services. By 1850 Britain had more than 6,00 miles of railway track. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay With new inventions, the quality of life has generally been improved for people. However the poor still faced many problems, wages were extremely low and working conditions were often very dangerous. Unskilled workers had no job security and were easily replaced. Children were part of the workforce and were often used for very dangerous jobs such as cleaning cars. Working conditions were reformed during the second half of the 19th century..