Industrial Revolution Essay

The mental change in the Industrial Revolution was the primary revolution. I show this by connecting to The World Is Flat (T. Friedman). I also show the change in child labor; then I bring in the Luddites and their contribution.



The industrial revolution, although has to do with both changes in the way people think, and what new machines had been created. The most influential in that revelatory process, was the mental change. As the machines started to replace the workforce, the companies still used children to run the heavy machinery. People decided that they didn’t like machines taking jobs. Due to the invention of machinery, a mental change had to occur, whether for or against.
Having a tool being provided that can change so many lives is amazing. The problem is though, the tool needs to be used correctly; and that is where this revolution’s primary change is. For example, in the World Is Flat by T. Friedman, he talks about the acceptance of the computer. All the sales people told of how the computer could completely renew the working environment. The problem that occurred was the effect was not immediate, and people started to turn against them. Yet, look at the world now? All computers. Why? Because people were able to get the computers to do what they needed to do, and get themselves used to the thought of something that can be faster than themselves.
In the Industrial Revolution, the machines were provided, setup, and turned on. Who was there the run the machines? Typically children. Why were these massive machines run by children? Well, that comes from the public’s previous tradition of men using their children to do things that either he can’t do himself, perhaps for crawling through small spaces, or because it was too dangerous that adults would protest.
Then you have the Luddites. People who were either laid off or didn’t approve of the technological advancement came together to form a type of cult called the Luddites. These people were ones who obviously weren’t ready to pickup and change careers like many of us do today (a mental change from accepting a crazy economy). All the technology was there but they didn’t want to embrace it because it booted many people out of a job that was needed for them to support their family.
Of course you could argue that the machines caused the revolution. They came first, then survived the onslaught of infuriated Luddites. As they started to spread moving away from England and into other countries; those countries immediately jumped into an industrial community. Although, machines can’t migrate themselves. Someone made the decision to build them, which would mean that someone had made a mental change into adopting them.
As you can see, machines can be very influential to change. They have pushed us into an economy that works so fast. Whether adopting new technology or provoking us into destroying them. Yet also think of this, we made mental changes all along, accepted them as good bonuses or, as evil job takers. A revolution always concerns both physical and mental changes and adaptions, but in this case the mental change is the primary revolution.