HIST-261 Lecture 5: Industrialization
23 Jul 2020
School
Department
Course
Professor
Industrialization, Urbanization, and Social Reform.
• Industrialization introduced the most dramatic economic, social, and environmental
change since the agricultural revolution.
Industrialization originated in Britain in the eighteenth century; over the course of the
nineteenth century, Europe, Russia, Japan, and the United States also transitioned to industrial
societies, featuring machine-made goods, large factories, regimented work hours, and waged
labour.
• The first phase of the Industrial Revolution was driven by the development of the steam
engine, a new power source that revolutionized production and transportation (steam
ships and trains).
• The second phase of the Industrial Revolution included innovations such as steel,
electricity, and the combustion engine, as well as chemicals and communication
technologies.
Industrialization went hand in hand with urbanization; industrial machinery made farming less
labour intensive, and cities grew rapidly as people moved from rural to urban areas to take up
waged work.
Industrialization was also accompanied by the rapid growth of the service sector, with high
demand for a professional class including lawyers and managers, as well as lower paying service
positions such as clerks, secretaries, and sales assistants.
• Canada began to transition from a resource-exporting, agricultural economy to an
industrial one in the second half of the nineteenth century.
Montreal, Toronto, and Hamilton were the sites of early industrialization in Canada, but
industrialization became more far-reaching by the late nineteenth century.
The first decade of the twentieth century was the period of most rapid economic and
population growth in Canadian history.
Cities across the country, but especially in western Canada, experienced astronomical growth,
a result of rural to urban migration and high rates of immigration to Canada.
• Industrialization had significant ramifications for the types of work people performed, the
relationships between social classes, as well as gender relations.
Document Summary
Industrialization introduced the most dramatic economic, social, and environmental change since the agricultural revolution. Industrialization originated in britain in the eighteenth century; over the course of the nineteenth century, europe, russia, japan, and the united states also transitioned to industrial societies, featuring machine-made goods, large factories, regimented work hours, and waged labour. Industrialization went hand in hand with urbanization; industrial machinery made farming less labour intensive, and cities grew rapidly as people moved from rural to urban areas to take up waged work. Montreal, toronto, and hamilton were the sites of early industrialization in canada, but industrialization became more far-reaching by the late nineteenth century. The first decade of the twentieth century was the period of most rapid economic and population growth in canadian history. Cities across the country, but especially in western canada, experienced astronomical growth, a result of rural to urban migration and high rates of immigration to canada.
