The Rise of the Machines: Pros and Cons of the Industrial Revolution

<!doctype html> <html lang="en" class="story-desktop ui-ie7 ui-ie"> <head prefix="og: https://ogp.me/ns# fb: https://ogp.me/ns/fb#"> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" /> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" /> <link rel="dns-prefetch" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130"> <link rel="preconnect" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130"> <link rel="preload" as="script" href="https://www.googletagservices.com/tag/js/gpt.js" /> <link rel="icon" href="/favicon.png" /> <meta name="description" content="The Industrial Revolution made our lives easier, but did it make them better?" /> <meta name="keywords" content="companion, industrial revolution, medicine, pollution, labor, productivity, middle class, industry, technology" /> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.britannica.com/story/the-rise-of-the-machines-pros-and-cons-of-the-industrial-revolution" /> <title>The Rise of the Machines: Pros and Cons of the Industrial Revolution | Britannica</title> <script type="text/javascript" data-type="Init Mendel"> window.$UI = {}; window.Constants = {"LICENSE_URL": "/bps/license","DEFAULT_TEST_VERSION": "A","DEFAULT_STATE": "XX","QUIZ_URL": "/quiz","SPOTLIGHT_BROWSE_URL": "/stories/spotlight","CONTENT_TYPE_TEXT": "text/plain;charset=UTF-8","TOPIC_FACTS_DATA_URL": "/facts","QUIZ_BROWSE_IMAGE_QUIZZES": "images","TOPIC_MEDIA_PATH": "/images-videos","USER_PROFILE_URL": "/user","DEBUG_URL": "/debug","ONE_GOOD_FACT_URL": "/one-good-fact","ERROR_404_URL": "/error404","PROCON_CITED_IN_THE_NEWS_URL": "/procon/ProCon-in-the-News","PROCON_URL": "/procon","TOPIC_PAGE_CONTENT_AJAX_URL": "/topic-content/page","INFINITE_SCROLL_PREFIX_URL": "/scroll","TOPIC_TOP_QUESTION_BROWSE_URL": "/questions","CC_USD": "USD","domain": "britannica.com","SURVEY_URL": "/survey","CATEGORY_BROWSE_URL": "/browse","STORY_BROWSE_URL": "/stories","COUNTRY_US": "US","OPEN_MEDIA_OVERLAY_PARAMETER": "/media","NEWSLETTER_SUBSCRIPTION_URL": "/newsletter-subscription","MAINTENANCE_ERROR_URL": "https://maintenance.eb.com","IMARS_EDITOR_ID": "12365882","PROFILE_EB_EDITOR_URL": "/editor","WEB_INF_RESOURCES_PATH": "WEB-INF/resources","AI_ABOUT_PAGE_URL": "/about-britannica-ai","TOPIC_ADDITIONAL_INFO_PATH": "/additional-info","SUDOKU_GAME_URL": "/games/sudoku","CC_INR": "INR","ARTICLE_PRINT_URL": "/print/article","FIRST_EDITION_URL": "/subscriber/firstedition","WW1_PORTAL_URL": "/discover/World-War-I","MENDEL_COOKIE": "__mendel","DEMYSTIFIED_BROWSE_URL": "/stories/demystified","LIST_BROWSE_URL": "/list/browse","PROFILE_EXPERT_URL": "/contributor","ASSEMBLY_IMAGE_URL": "/image/assembly","DAY_IN_HISTORY_URL": "/on-this-day","DEFAULT_CURRENCY": "USD","CONTENT_TYPE_XML": "text/xml;charset=UTF-8","PORTAL_FINANCE_BROWSE_URL_PREFIX": "/money/browse","MONEY_IMARS_CATEGORY": "13000","AJAX_PREFIX_URL": "/ajax","TOPIC_BROWSE_URL": "/topic-browse","MARKETING_CONTENT": "/marketing-content","ENV_RUNTIME": "runtime","GALLERY_URL": "/gallery","topicUrlClassesList": "topic|animal|art|biography|event|place|plant|science|sports|technology|procon","CONTENT_TYPE_HTML": "text/html;charset=UTF-8","ENV_LOCAL": "override","MEDIA_OVERLAY_URL": "/media-overlay","CHATBOT_PAGE_URL": "/chatbot","NEWSLETTER_PAGE_URL": "/newsletters","ENV_DEV": "development","MEDIA_URL": "/media","TOPIC_TOP_QUESTION_URL": "/question","PORTAL_FINANCE_URL_PREFIX": "/money","PODCASTS_URL": "/podcasts","STAND_ALONE_VIDEO_URL": "/video","MORE_ON_THIS_DAY_URL": "/more-on-this-day","TOPIC_QUOTES_URL": "/quotes","SEARCH_PAGE_URL": "/search","PROCON_CLASS": "PROCON","KUSTOM_MENDEL_APPLICATION_ID": "1","TOPIC_CONTENT_AJAX_URL": "/topic-content/topic","ENV_BRANCH": "branch","ERROR_URL": "/error","MAIN_VERSION": "mainVersion","DEFAULT_S3_REGION": "US_EAST_1","TOPIC_COLLECTION_URL": "/summary","LOGINBOX_URL": "/auth/loginbox","ONE_GOOD_FACT_BROWSE_URL": "/one-good-fact/all-good-facts","QUIZ_BROWSE_URL": "/quiz/browse","BIO_BROWSE_URL": "/browse/biographies","LIST_URL": "/list","TIGHTROPE_QUIZ_URL": "/quiz/tightrope","ALPHA_BROWSE_URL": "/sitemap","CONTENT_TYPE_JSON": "application/json","DICTIONARY_URL": "/dictionary","COBRAND_IMAGE_URL": "/image/cobrand","PROCON_IN_THE_NEWS_URL": "/procon/pro-and-con-issues-in-the-news","PROCON_BROWSE_URL": "/procon","QUIZ_BROWSE_VOCAB_QUIZZES": "vocabulary-quizzes","SUBMISSION_URL": "/submission","EB_LOG_OUT": "/auth2/logout","ENV_PRODUCTION": "production","EXPLORE_PORTAL_URL": "/explore","TOPIC_AJAX_URL": "/ajax/topic","TOPIC_SUMMARY_BROWSE_URL": "/summaries","WTFACT_BROWSE_URL": "/stories/wtfact","VIDEO_CHANNEL_URL": "/videos","GALLERY_BROWSE_URL": "/gallery/browse","CACHE_URL": "/cache","PROCON_ABOUT_URL": "/procon/About-ProCon","COMPANION_BROWSE_URL": "/stories/companion","MEDIA_FOLDER": "/eb-media","SHOW_ALL_CONTRIBUTORS": "/additional-info#contributors","BRITANNICA_EDITORS_ID": "4419","ENV_CACHE_DISABLED": "mendelCache","CALCULATORS_BROWSE_URL": "/calculators","STORY_URL": "/story","DEFAULT_COUNTRY": "US","NAVBAR_URL": "/ajax/navbar","EB_LOGIN_URL": "/auth/eb-login","NEW_ARTICLES_URL": "/new-articles",}; window.CDN = "https://cdn.britannica.com"; window.CAM_LOGIN_URL = "https://cam.britannica.com"; window.CAM_SIGN_UP_URL = "https://cam.britannica.com/registration" window.Mendel = { "config" : { "domain": "britannica.com", "page": "Story", "videoPlayerId": "UyMCoK2v", "sharedUrl": "https://www.britannica.com/story/the-rise-of-the-machines-pros-and-cons-of-the-industrial-revolution", "amuselabsUrl": "https://cdn3.amuselabs.com", "resourcesPrefixUrl": "https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/[url]?v=3.130.14", "date": 20241128, "userInfo": { "type": "ANONYMOUS" ,"currency": "AUUS" ,"country": "SG" ,"state": "XX" ,"timezone": "Asia/Singapore" ,"bcomId": "2235188794590363199" ,"hasAds": true ,"testVersion": "D" ,"adsTestVersion": "D" ,"consumerId": "" ,"instId": "" ,"consumerUserName": "" ,"instUserName": "" ,"cognito": null }, "tvs":{ "r":[25,25,25,25], "a": [25,25,25,25]}, "isLoggedInAsUser": false, "isPhone": false, "isDesktop": true, "logoutUrl": "/auth2/logout", "selfServiceUrl": "https://myaccount.britannica.com", "cdnUrl": "https://cdn.britannica.com", "chatbotApi": "https://www.britannica.com/chat-api", "fetchOffset": 800, "mendelCookieName": "__mendel", "mendelCookie": {"surveyShown":false,"visitedTopicId":0,"currentDate":20241128}, "autocompleteToSearchPage": false,"pagesInfo": [{"url":"the-rise-of-the-machines-pros-and-cons-of-the-industrial-revolution","title":"The Rise of the Machines: Pros and Cons of the Industrial Revolution"},{"url":"why-is-it-called-black-friday","title":"Why Is It Called Black Friday?"},{"url":"why-is-thanksgiving-in-the-us-celebrated-on-a-thursday","title":"Why Is Thanksgiving in the U.S. Celebrated on a Thursday?"},{"url":"why-do-we-eat-turkey-on-thanksgiving","title":"Why Do We Eat Turkey on Thanksgiving?"},{"url":"why-is-christmas-in-december","title":"Why Is Christmas in December?"},{"url":"why-is-the-mona-lisa-so-famous","title":"Why Is the <em>Mona Lisa</em> So Famous?"},{"url":"was-martin-luther-king-jr-a-republican-or-a-democrat","title":"Was Martin Luther King, Jr., a Republican or a Democrat?"},{"url":"whats-the-difference-between-venomous-and-poisonous","title":"What’s the Difference Between Venomous and Poisonous?"},{"url":"are-bats-really-blind","title":"Are Bats Really Blind?"},{"url":"whats-the-difference-between-buffalo-and-bison","title":"What’s the Difference Between Bison and Buffalo?"},{"url":"nikola-teslas-weird-obsession-with-pigeons","title":"Nikola Tesla's Weird Obsession with Pigeons"}] ,"currentFeature": 6360 ,"storyType": "COMPANION" }, "GA": {"leg":"D","adLeg":"D","userType":"ANONYMOUS","pageType":"Story","pageSubtype":"COMPANION","gisted":false,"pageNumber":1,"hasSummarizeButton":false,"hasAskButton":false} }; </script> <meta property="fb:app_id" content="1887621861548296"/ <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image" /> <meta name="twitter:site" content="@britannica" /> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://cdn.britannica.com/17/167717-131-94C99B30/boys-mill-Macon-Georgia-1909.jpg" /> <meta name="twitter:description" content="The Industrial Revolution made our lives easier, but did it make them better?"/> <meta property="og:type" content="ARTICLE"/> <meta property="og:title" content="The Rise of the Machines: Pros and Cons of the Industrial Revolution | Britannica"/> <meta property="og:description" content="The Industrial Revolution made our lives easier, but did it make them better?"/> <meta property="og:site_name" content="Encyclopedia Britannica" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://www.britannica.com/story/the-rise-of-the-machines-pros-and-cons-of-the-industrial-revolution"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn.britannica.com/17/167717-131-94C99B30/boys-mill-Macon-Georgia-1909.jpg" /> <meta property="og:image:type" content="image/jpeg" /> <script type="text/javascript" data-type="init opengraph"> Mendel.openGraph = {"type":"ARTICLE","title":"The Rise of the Machines: Pros and Cons of the Industrial Revolution","description":"The Industrial Revolution made our lives easier, but did it make them better?","imageUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/17/167717-131-94C99B30/boys-mill-Macon-Georgia-1909.jpg","imageType":"image/jpeg","pageUrl":"https://www.britannica.com/story/the-rise-of-the-machines-pros-and-cons-of-the-industrial-revolution"}</script> <link rel="preconnect" href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/"> <link rel="dns-prefetch" href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/" > <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/icon?family=Material+Icons"> <link href="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/dist/vendor-bundle.css?v=3.130.14" rel="stylesheet" /> <link href="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/dist/mendel-css.css?v=3.130.14" rel="stylesheet" /> <link href="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/dist/story-page.css?v=3.130.14" rel="stylesheet" /> <script type="text/javascript"> if (self !== top) { top.location = self.location; } // if ('scrollRestoration' in history) { history.scrollRestoration = 'manual'; } </script> <script src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/js/at.js?v=3.130.14" async ></script> <script> dataLayer = []; </script> <script type="text/javascript">(function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start': new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0], j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src= '//www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f); })(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-5W6NC8'); </script> </head> <body data-leg="D" class="popular-topics-story user-ANONYMOUS user-ads md-desktop leg-db-ie">  <script>Mendel.config.adProvider='ay';</script> <script async src="https://securepubads.g.doubleclick.net/tag/js/gpt.js"></script> <script> window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []}; googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.defineSlot('/15510053/CMP_1x1', [1, 1], 'div-gpt-ad-1709766812090-0').addService(googletag.pubads()); googletag.pubads().enableSingleRequest(); googletag.enableServices(); }); </script> <script async defer src="https://launchpad-wrapper.privacymanager.io/0ccc6fe8-1870-4ad8-b47b-6d029ac116fc/launchpad-liveramp.js"></script> <script async src="https://JRyhoywLYXNLYMAhs.ay.delivery/manager/JRyhoywLYXNLYMAhs" type="text/javascript" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" ></script><div class="ie-warning d-flex align-items-center align-self-center justify-content-center site-alert bg-orange"> <div> You are using an <strong>outdated</strong> browser. Please <a class="text-white text-underscore" href="https://browsehappy.com/">upgrade your browser</a> to improve your experience and security. </div> </div> <script id="json-navbar-info" type="application/json"> {"topSectionLinks":[{"title":"Ask the Chatbot","url":"/chatbot","navbarId":"CHATBOT"},{"title":"Games & Quizzes","url":"/quiz/browse","navbarId":"QUIZZES"},{"title":"ProCon","url":"/procon","navbarId":"PROCON"},{"title":"History & Society","url":"/History-Society","selected":true,"navbarId":"HISTORY"},{"title":"Science & Tech","url":"/Science-Tech","navbarId":"SCIENCE"},{"title":"Biographies","url":"/Biographies","navbarId":"BIOS"},{"title":"Animals & Nature","url":"/Animals-Nature","navbarId":"ANIMALS"},{"title":"Geography & Travel","url":"/Geography-Travel","navbarId":"GEOGRAPHY"},{"title":"Arts & Culture","url":"/Arts-Culture","navbarId":"ART"},{"title":"Money","url":"/money","navbarId":"MONEY"},{"title":"Videos","url":"/videos","navbarId":"VIDEOS"}],"selectedSuperCategory":{"id":5,"title":"History & Society","url":"History-Society","description":"Explore history and society; accidents and disasters; the age of revolutions; the ancient world; historic dynasties; global exploration; the middle ages; the modern world; prehistory; US history; world history; wars and battles; sociology; religion and philosophy; humanities; ethics; anthropology; festivals and holidays; human rights; human migration; international relations; politics, law, and government","keywords":"accidents and disasters; the age of revolutions; the ancient world; historic dynasties; global exploration; the middle ages; the modern world; prehistory; US history; world history; wars and battles; sociology; religion and philosophy; humanities; ethics; anthropology; festivals and holidays; human rights; human migration; international relations; politics, law, and government","classId":"HISTORY","sortOrder":1},"selectedNavbarLink":{"title":"History & Society","url":"/History-Society","selected":true,"navbarId":"HISTORY"}} </script> <script id="json-hamburger-menu" type="application/json"> {"britannicaMenu1":[{"title":"Home","url":"/"},{"title":"ProCon","url":"/procon"},{"title":"History & Society","url":"/History-Society"},{"title":"Science & Tech","url":"/Science-Tech"},{"title":"Biographies","url":"/Biographies"},{"title":"Animals & Nature","url":"/Animals-Nature"},{"title":"Geography & Travel","url":"/Geography-Travel"},{"title":"Arts & Culture","url":"/Arts-Culture"},{"title":"Money","url":"/money"}],"britannicaMenu2":[{"title":"Games & Quizzes","url":"/quiz/browse"},{"title":"Videos","url":"/videos"},{"title":"On This Day","url":"/on-this-day"},{"title":"One Good Fact","url":"/one-good-fact"},{"title":"Dictionary","url":"/dictionary"},{"title":"New Articles","url":"/new-articles"}],"browseByCategory":[{"title":{"id":5,"title":"History & Society","url":"/History-Society"},"links":[{"title":"Lifestyles & Social Issues","url":"/browse/Lifestyles-Social-Issues"},{"title":"Philosophy & Religion","url":"/browse/Philosophy-Religion"},{"title":"Politics, Law & Government","url":"/browse/Politics-Law-Government"},{"title":"World History","url":"/browse/World-History"}]},{"title":{"id":6,"title":"Science & Tech","url":"/Science-Tech"},"links":[{"title":"Health & Medicine","url":"/browse/Health-Medicine"},{"title":"Science","url":"/browse/Science"},{"title":"Technology","url":"/browse/Technology"}]},{"title":{"id":3,"title":"Biographies","url":"/Biographies"},"links":[{"title":"Browse Biographies","url":"/browse/biographies"}]},{"title":{"id":1,"title":"Animals & Nature","url":"/Animals-Nature"},"links":[{"title":"Birds, Reptiles & Other Vertebrates","url":"/browse/Birds-Reptiles-Vertebrates"},{"title":"Bugs, Mollusks & Other Invertebrates","url":"/browse/Bugs-Mollusks-Invertebrates"},{"title":"Environment","url":"/browse/Environment"},{"title":"Fossils & Geologic Time","url":"/browse/Fossil-Geologic-Time"},{"title":"Mammals","url":"/browse/Mammals"},{"title":"Plants","url":"/browse/Plants"}]},{"title":{"id":4,"title":"Geography & Travel","url":"/Geography-Travel"},"links":[{"title":"Geography & Travel","url":"/browse/Geography-Travel"}]},{"title":{"id":2,"title":"Arts & Culture","url":"/Arts-Culture"},"links":[{"title":"Entertainment & Pop Culture","url":"/browse/Entertainment-Pop-Culture"},{"title":"Literature","url":"/browse/Literature"},{"title":"Sports & Recreation","url":"/browse/Sports-Recreation"},{"title":"Visual Arts","url":"/browse/Visual-Arts"}]}],"browseByFeature":[{"title":"Companions","url":"/stories/companion"},{"title":"Demystified","url":"/stories/demystified"},{"title":"Image Galleries","url":"/gallery/browse"},{"title":"Lists","url":"/list/browse"},{"title":"Podcasts","url":"/podcasts"},{"title":"Spotlight","url":"/stories/spotlight"},{"title":"Summaries","url":"/summary"},{"title":"The Forum","url":"/stories/the-forum"},{"title":"Top Questions","url":"/question"},{"title":"#WTFact","url":"/stories/wtfact"}],"moreFromBritannica":[{"title":"Britannica Kids","url":"https://kids.britannica.com/","newTab":true}],"menuType":"DEFAULT"} </script> <header id="header" class="bg-navy-dark"> <div class="global-nav-top-bar"> <div class="grid gx-0 h-100 justify-content-between align-items-center container-lg mx-auto p-0 position-relative"> <div class="d-flex align-items-center"> <button class="d-flex align-items-center justify-self-start js-toggle js-toggle-hamburger btn btn-link link-white btn-sm rounded-0 p-10"> <div class="hamburger-tooltip"> <em class="material-icons d-inline-block font-24" id="nav-toggle" data-icon="menu"></em> </div> <em class="material-icons d-inline-block font-24 global-nav-search-icon" id="nav-search-icon" data-icon="search" ></em> </button> <a href="/" class="d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center ml-10"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel/eb-logo/MendelNewThistleLogo.png" alt="Encyclopedia Britannica" class="global-nav-logo global-nav-logo-left" /> </a> <div class="global-nav-top-search-bar global-nav-top-search-container global-nav-search-container" id="global-nav-top-search-bar"> <form method="get" action="/search" id="global-nav-search" class="md-search-form m-0 global-nav-search-bar-small"> <div class="search-box position-relative col-100"> <label class="sr-only" for="global-nav-search-query">Search Britannica</label> <input name="query" id="global-nav-search-query" placeholder="Search Britannica..." class="form-control form-control-lg rounded-lg font-16 search-query pl-20 pr-70 shadow-sm" maxlength="200" autocomplete="off" aria-label="Search Britannica" /> <button class="search-reset-btn btn btn-link px-10 position-absolute top-0 h-100 d-none" type="reset"> <em class="material-icons" data-icon="close"></em> </button> <button class="search-submit btn btn-link text-blue px-10 position-absolute top-0 right-0 h-100" type="submit" disabled> <span class="sr-only">Click here to search</span> <em class="material-icons search-icon" data-icon="search"></em> </button> </div> </form> </div> </div> <a href="/" class="d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel/eb-logo/MendelNewThistleLogo.png" alt="Encyclopedia Britannica" class="global-nav-center global-nav-logo non-homepage-logo" /> </a> <form method="get" action="/search" id="global-nav-search" class="md-search-form m-0 global-nav-search-bar-small global-nav-center search global-nav-center-search-container"> <div class="search-box position-relative col-100"> <label class="sr-only" for="global-nav-search-query">Search Britannica</label> <input name="query" id="global-nav-search-query" placeholder="Search Britannica..." class="form-control form-control-lg rounded-lg font-16 search-query pl-20 pr-70 shadow-sm" maxlength="200" autocomplete="off" aria-label="Search Britannica" /> <button class="search-reset-btn btn btn-link px-10 position-absolute top-0 h-100 d-none" type="reset"> <em class="material-icons" data-icon="close"></em> </button> <button class="search-submit btn btn-link text-blue px-10 position-absolute top-0 right-0 h-100" type="submit" disabled> <span class="sr-only">Click here to search</span> <em class="material-icons search-icon" data-icon="search"></em> </button> </div> </form> <div class="col-35 col-sm-auto text-right order-3 mr-lg-15 align-items-center d-flex justify-content-end"> <div class="d-none d-md-inline-block"> <SPAN class="marketing-HEADER_SUBSCRIPTION_DESKTOP2 marketing-content" data-marketing-id="HEADER_SUBSCRIPTION_DESKTOP2"><a href="https://subscription.britannica.com/subscribe?partnerCode=BP_Black_Friday_AUUS" class="subscribe-link btn btn-sm btn-outline-white-orange py-5 mr-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Subscribe </a></SPAN></div> <div class="d-inline-block d-md-none mr-5 mr-sm-10"> <SPAN class="marketing-HEADER_SUBSCRIPTION_MOBILE marketing-content" data-marketing-id="HEADER_SUBSCRIPTION_MOBILE"><a href="https://subscription.britannica.com/subscribe?partnerCode=BP_Black_Friday_AUUS" class="subscribe-link btn btn-xs btn-orange-dark p-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Subscribe </a></SPAN></div> <button class="js-toggle-user-dropdown js-toggle btn btn-sm btn-link link-white rounded-0 px-md-15 pl-5 pr-5"> <span class="d-none d-md-inline-block mr-5">Login</span> <em class="material-icons d-inline-block d-md-none font-16 font-sm-20" data-icon="account_circle"></em> <div class="d-none dropdown-menu-subscription-link">https://subscription.britannica.com/subscribe?partnerCode=BP_Black_Friday_AUUS</div> <em class="material-icons inactive-icon d-inline-block font-18" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_down"></em> <em class="material-icons active-icon d-inline-block font-18" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_up"></em> </button> </div> </div> </div> <div class="d-none hamburger-menu-subscription-link"><DIV class="marketing-HAMBURGER_MENU_CTA marketing-content" data-marketing-id="HAMBURGER_MENU_CTA"><a href="https://premium.britannica.com/premium-membership/?utm_source=premium&utm_medium=hamburger-menu&utm_campaign=black-friday-2024" class="subscribe-link btn btn-sm btn-orange py-5" target="_blank"> Subscribe <span class="d-none d-md-inline"> Now</span> </a></DIV></div> <div id="global-nav-react"> <div class="d-none"> <ul> <li><a href="/">Home</a></li> <li><a href="/procon">ProCon</a></li> <li><a href="/History-Society">History & Society</a></li> <li><a href="/Science-Tech">Science & Tech</a></li> <li><a href="/Biographies">Biographies</a></li> <li><a href="/Animals-Nature">Animals & Nature</a></li> <li><a href="/Geography-Travel">Geography & Travel</a></li> <li><a href="/Arts-Culture">Arts & Culture</a></li> <li><a href="/money">Money</a></li> </ul> <ul> <li><a href="/quiz/browse">Games & Quizzes</a></li> <li><a href="/videos">Videos</a></li> <li><a href="/on-this-day">On This Day</a></li> <li><a href="/one-good-fact">One Good Fact</a></li> <li><a href="/dictionary">Dictionary</a></li> <li><a href="/new-articles">New Articles</a></li> </ul> <a href="/History-Society">History & Society</a> <ul> <li><a href="/browse/Lifestyles-Social-Issues">Lifestyles & Social Issues</a></li> <li><a href="/browse/Philosophy-Religion">Philosophy & Religion</a></li> <li><a href="/browse/Politics-Law-Government">Politics, Law & Government</a></li> <li><a href="/browse/World-History">World History</a></li> </ul> <a href="/Science-Tech">Science & Tech</a> <ul> <li><a href="/browse/Health-Medicine">Health & Medicine</a></li> <li><a href="/browse/Science">Science</a></li> <li><a href="/browse/Technology">Technology</a></li> </ul> <a href="/Biographies">Biographies</a> <ul> <li><a href="/browse/biographies">Browse Biographies</a></li> </ul> <a href="/Animals-Nature">Animals & Nature</a> <ul> <li><a href="/browse/Birds-Reptiles-Vertebrates">Birds, Reptiles & Other Vertebrates</a></li> <li><a href="/browse/Bugs-Mollusks-Invertebrates">Bugs, Mollusks & Other Invertebrates</a></li> <li><a href="/browse/Environment">Environment</a></li> <li><a href="/browse/Fossil-Geologic-Time">Fossils & Geologic Time</a></li> <li><a href="/browse/Mammals">Mammals</a></li> <li><a href="/browse/Plants">Plants</a></li> </ul> <a href="/Geography-Travel">Geography & Travel</a> <ul> <li><a href="/browse/Geography-Travel">Geography & Travel</a></li> </ul> <a href="/Arts-Culture">Arts & Culture</a> <ul> <li><a href="/browse/Entertainment-Pop-Culture">Entertainment & Pop Culture</a></li> <li><a href="/browse/Literature">Literature</a></li> <li><a href="/browse/Sports-Recreation">Sports & Recreation</a></li> <li><a href="/browse/Visual-Arts">Visual Arts</a></li> </ul> <ul> <li><a href="/stories/companion">Companions</a></li> <li><a href="/stories/demystified">Demystified</a></li> <li><a href="/gallery/browse">Image Galleries</a></li> <li><a href="/list/browse">Lists</a></li> <li><a href="/podcasts">Podcasts</a></li> <li><a href="/stories/spotlight">Spotlight</a></li> <li><a href="/summary">Summaries</a></li> <li><a href="/stories/the-forum">The Forum</a></li> <li><a href="/question">Top Questions</a></li> <li><a href="/stories/wtfact">#WTFact</a></li> </ul> <ul> <li><a href="https://kids.britannica.com/">Britannica Kids</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </header> <div class="bg-navy-dark"> <div class="container-lg p-0 d-flex justify-content-center global-nav-categories-bar overflow-hidden"> <div class="slider js-slider position-relative d-inline-flex align-items-center mw-100 global-nav-slider category-snap-slider"> <div class="slider-container js-slider-container overflow-hidden d-flex font-14 overflow-hidden text-nowrap mx-5"> <a class="nav-bar-category mx-5 category-link-CHATBOT " href="/chatbot">Ask the Chatbot</a> <a class="nav-bar-category mx-5 category-link-QUIZZES " href="/quiz/browse">Games & Quizzes</a> <a class="nav-bar-category mx-5 category-link-PROCON " href="/procon">ProCon</a> <a class="nav-bar-category mx-5 category-link-HISTORY selected selected" href="/History-Society">History & Society</a> <a class="nav-bar-category mx-5 category-link-SCIENCE " href="/Science-Tech">Science & Tech</a> <a class="nav-bar-category mx-5 category-link-BIOS " href="/Biographies">Biographies</a> <a class="nav-bar-category mx-5 category-link-ANIMALS " href="/Animals-Nature">Animals & Nature</a> <a class="nav-bar-category mx-5 category-link-GEOGRAPHY " href="/Geography-Travel">Geography & Travel</a> <a class="nav-bar-category mx-5 category-link-ART " href="/Arts-Culture">Arts & Culture</a> <a class="nav-bar-category mx-5 category-link-MONEY " href="/money">Money</a> <a class="nav-bar-category mx-5 category-link-VIDEOS " href="/videos">Videos</a> </div> <button disabled class="prev-button js-prev-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-blue " aria-label="Previous"> <span class="material-icons md-24" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_left"></span> </button> <button disabled class="next-button js-next-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-blue " aria-label="Next"> <span class="material-icons md-24" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></span> </button> </div> </div> </div> <main> <div class="md-page-wrapper"> <div id="content" class="md-content"> <script type="application/ld+json"> {"headline":"The Rise of the Machines: Pros and Cons of the Industrial Revolution","image":{"url":"https://cdn.britannica.com/17/167717-131-94C99B30/boys-mill-Macon-Georgia-1909.jpg","@type":"ImageObject"},"author":[{"name":"John P. Rafferty","url":"https://www.britannica.com/editor/John-P-Rafferty/6747","@type":"Person"}],"keywords":"The Rise of the Machines: Pros and Cons of the Industrial Revolution","url":"https://www.britannica.com/story/the-rise-of-the-machines-pros-and-cons-of-the-industrial-revolution","description":"The Industrial Revolution made our lives easier, but did it make them better?","publisher":{"name":"Encyclopedia Britannica","@type":"Organization","logo":{"url":"https://corporate.britannica.com/wp-content/themes/eb-corporate/_img/logo.png","@type":"ImageObject"}},"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"article"} </script> <main id="story-container" class="COMPANION"> <div class="story-content"> <div class="story-content story-container qa-content" data-bc-category="World History" data-feature-id="6360"> <div class="md-article-container"> <div class="feature-container container-lg p-0 pb-40 p-md-20"> <aside class="d-none d-lg-block feature-left-rail p-20 pb-60 clear-catfish-ad"> <div class="feature-section"> <div class="label mb-15 font-serif">Discover</div> <div class="mobile-carousel-items"> <ul class="pl-0 lr-image-list font-14 m-0 mb-30 d-flex flex-md-column slider-container js-slider-container overflow-hidden discover"> <li class="mb-10 mr-10 mr-md-0 d-inline-flex"> <a href="/list/inventors-and-inventions-of-the-industrial-revolution" class="d-block mr-10"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/34/193634-131-F5FF783D/factories-Industrial-Revolution-workers-house-machines.jpg?w=68&h=68&s=crop" alt="A Factory Interior, watercolor, pen and gray ink, graphite, and white goache on wove paper by unknown artist, c. 1871-91; in the Yale Center for British Art. Industrial Revolution England" /> </a> <div class="link-container"> <a class="" href="/list/inventors-and-inventions-of-the-industrial-revolution">Inventors and Inventions of the Industrial Revolution</a> </div> <div class="item-separator d-md-none"></div> </li> <li class="mb-10 mr-10 mr-md-0 d-inline-flex"> <a href="/quiz/pop-quiz-15-things-to-know-about-the-industrial-revolution" class="d-block mr-10"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/58/223158-050-A61FA1C8/spinning-room-in-Shadwell-Rope-Works.jpg?w=68&h=68&s=crop" alt="Vintage engraving from 1878 of the spinning room in Shadwell Rope Works. View of the factory floor. Industrial revolution" /> </a> <div class="link-container"> <a class="" href="/quiz/pop-quiz-15-things-to-know-about-the-industrial-revolution">Pop Quiz: 15 Things to Know About the Industrial Revolution</a> </div> <div class="item-separator d-md-none"></div> </li> <li class="mb-10 mr-10 mr-md-0 d-inline-flex"> <a href="/quiz/european-history" class="d-block mr-10"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/44/171644-131-269D3C9B/Vikings-swords-warriors-Viking-shields-c-killing.jpg?w=68&h=68&s=crop" alt="Vikings. Viking warriors hold swords and shields. 9th c. AD seafaring warriors raided the coasts of Europe, burning, plundering and killing. Marauders or pirates came from Scandinavia, now Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. European History" /> </a> <div class="link-container"> <a class="" href="/quiz/european-history">European History</a> </div> <div class="item-separator d-md-none"></div> </li> <li class="mb-10 mr-10 mr-md-0 d-inline-flex"> <a href="/quiz/history-fact-or-fiction" class="d-block mr-10"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/28/153528-131-208CEA18/Xian-Terra-cotta-soldiers-tomb-Qin-China-Shaanxi.jpg?w=68&h=68&s=crop" alt="Close-up of terracotta Soldiers in trenches, Mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China" /> </a> <div class="link-container"> <a class="" href="/quiz/history-fact-or-fiction">History: Fact or Fiction?</a> </div> <div class="item-separator d-md-none"></div> </li> <li class="mb-10 mr-10 mr-md-0 d-inline-flex"> <a href="/list/10-legendary-creatures-from-around-the-world" class="d-block mr-10"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/20/249020-050-931D85D6/Chinese-dragon-sculpture-or-statue.jpg?w=68&h=68&s=crop" alt="Chinese dragon sculpture or statue." /> </a> <div class="link-container"> <a class="" href="/list/10-legendary-creatures-from-around-the-world">10 Legendary Creatures from Around the World</a> </div> <div class="item-separator d-md-none"></div> </li> <li class="mb-10 mr-10 mr-md-0 d-inline-flex"> <a href="/story/was-martin-luther-king-jr-a-republican-or-a-democrat" class="d-block mr-10"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/57/203257-131-48B2BCA1/Martin-Luther-King-Jr-marchers-speech-I-August-28th-1963.jpg?w=68&h=68&s=crop" alt="Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. addresses marchers during his "I Have a Dream" speech at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. August 28th 1963" /> </a> <div class="link-container"> <a class="" href="/story/was-martin-luther-king-jr-a-republican-or-a-democrat">Was Martin Luther King, Jr., a Republican or a Democrat?</a> </div> <div class="item-separator d-md-none"></div> </li> <li class="mb-10 mr-10 mr-md-0 d-inline-flex"> <a href="/list/secret-service-code-names-of-11-us-presidents" class="d-block mr-10"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/45/189145-131-45FF672E/Secret-Service-Agent-Earpiece.jpg?w=68&h=68&s=crop" alt="Secret Service Agent Listens To Earpiece" /> </a> <div class="link-container"> <a class="" href="/list/secret-service-code-names-of-11-us-presidents">Secret Service Code Names of 11 U.S. Presidents</a> </div> <div class="item-separator d-md-none"></div> </li> <li class="mb-10 mr-10 mr-md-0 d-inline-flex"> <a href="/story/whats-the-difference-between-buffalo-and-bison" class="d-block mr-10"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/04/187404-131-2839AF60/bison-American-buffalo-plains-prairie.jpg?w=68&h=68&s=crop" alt="American bison (Bison bison) also known as buffalo or plains buffalo on the prairie, western U.S." /> </a> <div class="link-container"> <a class="" href="/story/whats-the-difference-between-buffalo-and-bison">What’s the Difference Between Bison and Buffalo?</a> </div> <div class="item-separator d-md-none"></div> </li> <li class="mb-10 mr-10 mr-md-0 d-inline-flex"> <a href="/list/9-of-the-worlds-deadliest-mammals" class="d-block mr-10"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/56/174256-131-DE02B70C/Ruminant-Deer-Red-deer-Antlers-Cervus-elaphus.jpg?w=68&h=68&s=crop" alt="Ruminant. Deer. Red deer. Cervus elaphus. Buck. Stag. Antlers." /> </a> <div class="link-container"> <a class="" href="/list/9-of-the-worlds-deadliest-mammals">9 of the World’s Deadliest Mammals</a> </div> <div class="item-separator d-md-none"></div> </li> <li class="mb-10 mr-10 mr-md-0 d-inline-flex"> <a href="/list/8-philosophical-puzzles-and-paradoxes" class="d-block mr-10"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/05/176305-131-2D85B5C6/Casino-Gambling-Slots-Neon-Slot-machine-Luck.jpg?w=68&h=68&s=crop" alt="Casino. Gambling. Slots. Slot machine. Luck. Rich. Neon. Hit the Jackpot neon sign lights up casino window." /> </a> <div class="link-container"> <a class="" href="/list/8-philosophical-puzzles-and-paradoxes">Brain Games: 8 Philosophical Puzzles and Paradoxes</a> </div> <div class="item-separator d-md-none"></div> </li> <li class="mb-10 mr-10 mr-md-0 d-inline-flex"> <a href="/story/why-is-christmas-in-december" class="d-block mr-10"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/24/190024-131-988B5D32/Nativity-Scene-Adoration-of-the-Magi-Church.jpg?w=68&h=68&s=crop" alt="Nativity Scene, Adoration of the Magi, Church of the Birth of the Virgin Mary, Montenegro" /> </a> <div class="link-container"> <a class="" href="/story/why-is-christmas-in-december">Why Is Christmas in December?</a> </div> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </aside> <div class="reading-channel"> <div class="grey-box w-100 grey-box-middle"> <div class="grey-box-content mx-auto w-100"> <script type="application/ld+json"> { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement" : [ { "@type" : "ListItem", "position" : 1, "item" : { "@id" : "https://www.britannica.com/stories/companion", "name": "Companion" } } , { "@type" : "ListItem", "position" : 2, "item" : { "@id" : "https://www.britannica.com/stories/companion/World-History", "name": "World History" } } ] } </script> <nav class="breadcrumb mt-20 mb-30"> <span class="breadcrumb-item "> <a href="/" class="link-gray-600">Home</a> </span> <span class="breadcrumb-item "> <a class="link-gray-600" href="/stories/companion">Companion</a> </span> <span class="breadcrumb-item "> <a class="link-gray-600" href="/stories/companion/World-History">World History</a> </span> </nav> <div class="mb-5"> <a class="HISTORY font-weight-semi-bold super-category-badge rounded font-14" href="/History-Society"> History & Society </a> </div> <div> <div class="d-block d-md-none md-feature-tools float-right mb-15" style="right:20px" data-feature-id="6360"> <button class="js-tooltip-actions ml-10 btn btn-xs btn-outline-blue border shadow-sm pr-10" > <em class="material-icons md-icon ml-n10 my-n5 mr-5" data-icon="more_vert"></em> Actions </button> <div class="md-actions-popover popover popover-sm py-5 px-0 dropdown-menu"> <div> <button class="js-modal qa-cite-modal-button btn btn-sm btn-link gtm-topic-tool " data-modal="[data-feature-id=6360] .sm-cite-modal"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="verified"></em> Cite </button> <div class="sm-cite-modal size-lg d-none"> <div class="md-modal-body"> <div class="h2 font-serif d-flex align-items-center pb-15 border-bottom mb-15"> <em class="material-icons text-blue mr-10">verified</em>Cite </div> <div class="font-serif"> While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. </div> <div class="label mt-20 mb-10">Select Citation Style</div> <select class="js-citation-format-select form-select"> <option selected value="mla">MLA</option> <option value="apa">APA</option> <option value="chicago">Chicago Manual of Style</option> </select> <div class="citation font-serif border rounded p-15 mt-20" data-authors="John P. Rafferty" data-title="The Rise of the Machines: Pros and Cons of the Industrial Revolution" data-published-date="30 Sep. 2017" data-url="https://www.britannica.com/story/the-rise-of-the-machines-pros-and-cons-of-the-industrial-revolution" > <div class="citation-text"></div> </div> <button class="js-copy-citation-button mt-20 btn btn-xs btn-outline-blue border shadow-sm pr-10" > <em class="material-icons md-icon ml-n10 my-n5 mr-5" data-icon="file_copy"></em> <span class="js-citation-status-text">Copy Citation</span> </button> </div> </div> </div> <div> <button class="js-share-modal-button js-modal btn btn-sm btn-link gtm-topic-tool " data-modal="[data-feature-id=6360] .md-share-modal"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="share"></em> Share </button> <div class="md-share-modal size-lg d-none qa-share-modal"> <div class="md-modal-body"> <div class="h2 font-serif d-flex align-items-center pb-15 border-bottom"> <em class="material-icons text-blue mr-10" data-icon="share"></em> Share </div> <div class="label my-20">Share to social media</div> <div class="md-social-toolbar-circle d-flex align-items-start inverted" data-value="share" title="The Rise of the Machines: Pros and Cons of the Industrial Revolution" data-url="https://www.britannica.com/story/the-rise-of-the-machines-pros-and-cons-of-the-industrial-revolution" > <a class="social-icon facebook justify-content-center d-flex align-items-center align-self-center" data-provider="facebook" href="https://www.facebook.com/BRITANNICA/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span>Facebook</span></a> <a class="social-icon x justify-content-center d-flex align-items-center align-self-center" data-provider="x" href="https://x.com/britannica" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span>X</span></a> </div> <div class="label pt-20 mt-20 mb-5 border-top">URL</div> <a class="font-serif text-truncate d-inline-block" href="https://www.britannica.com/story/the-rise-of-the-machines-pros-and-cons-of-the-industrial-revolution">https://www.britannica.com/story/the-rise-of-the-machines-pros-and-cons-of-the-industrial-revolution</a> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <h1 class="mb-5">The Rise of the Machines: Pros and Cons of the Industrial Revolution</h1> <div class="d-none d-md-flex my-15"> <div class="mr-5"> <a href="javascript:window.print()" class=" btn btn-xs btn-outline-blue border shadow-sm pr-10" > <em class="material-icons md-icon ml-n10 my-n5 mr-5" data-icon="print"></em> Print </a> </div> <div class="mr-5"> <button class="js-modal qa-cite-modal-button gtm-topic-tool btn btn-xs btn-outline-blue border shadow-sm pr-10" data-modal="[data-feature-id=6360] .md-cite-modal"> <em class="material-icons md-icon ml-n10 my-n5 mr-5" data-icon="verified"></em> Cite </button> <div class="md-cite-modal size-lg d-none"> <div class="md-modal-body"> <div class="h2 font-serif d-flex align-items-center pb-15 border-bottom mb-15"> <em class="material-icons text-blue mr-10">verified</em>Cite </div> <div class="font-serif"> While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. </div> <div class="label mt-20 mb-10">Select Citation Style</div> <select class="js-citation-format-select form-select"> <option selected value="mla">MLA</option> <option value="apa">APA</option> <option value="chicago">Chicago Manual of Style</option> </select> <div class="citation font-serif border rounded p-15 mt-20" data-authors="John P. Rafferty" data-title="The Rise of the Machines: Pros and Cons of the Industrial Revolution" data-published-date="30 Sep. 2017" data-url="https://www.britannica.com/story/the-rise-of-the-machines-pros-and-cons-of-the-industrial-revolution" > <div class="citation-text"></div> </div> <button class="js-copy-citation-button mt-20 btn btn-xs btn-outline-blue border shadow-sm pr-10" > <em class="material-icons md-icon ml-n10 my-n5 mr-5" data-icon="file_copy"></em> <span class="js-citation-status-text">Copy Citation</span> </button> </div> </div> </div> <div> <button class="js-share-modal-button js-modal gtm-topic-tool btn btn-xs btn-outline-blue border shadow-sm pr-10" data-modal=".md-share-modal"> <em class="material-icons md-icon ml-n10 my-n5 mr-5" data-icon="share"></em> Share </button> <div class="md-share-modal size-lg d-none qa-share-modal"> <div class="md-modal-body"> <div class="h2 font-serif d-flex align-items-center pb-15 border-bottom"> <em class="material-icons text-blue mr-10" data-icon="share"></em> Share </div> <div class="label my-20">Share to social media</div> <div class="md-social-toolbar-circle d-flex align-items-start inverted" data-value="share" title="The Rise of the Machines: Pros and Cons of the Industrial Revolution" data-url="https://www.britannica.com/story/the-rise-of-the-machines-pros-and-cons-of-the-industrial-revolution" > <a class="social-icon facebook justify-content-center d-flex align-items-center align-self-center" data-provider="facebook" href="https://www.facebook.com/BRITANNICA/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span>Facebook</span></a> <a class="social-icon x justify-content-center d-flex align-items-center align-self-center" data-provider="x" href="https://x.com/britannica" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span>X</span></a> </div> <div class="label pt-20 mt-20 mb-5 border-top">URL</div> <a class="font-serif text-truncate d-inline-block" href="https://www.britannica.com/story/the-rise-of-the-machines-pros-and-cons-of-the-industrial-revolution">https://www.britannica.com/story/the-rise-of-the-machines-pros-and-cons-of-the-industrial-revolution</a> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="md-byline module-spacing font-12"> <div class="font-serif font-12"> <span class="written-by text-gray-700"> Written by </span> <div class="editor-popover popover p-0"> <a class="d-block p-20 gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor" href="/editor/John-P-Rafferty/6747" > <div class="editor-title font-16 font-weight-bold">John P. Rafferty</div> <div class="editor-description font-12 font-serif mt-5 clamp-description text-black">John P. Rafferty writes about Earth processes and the environment. He serves currently as the editor of Earth and life sciences, covering climatology, geology, zoology, and other topics that relate to...</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor text-decoration-underline"> John P. Rafferty</span></div> <div class="font-serif font-12 text-gray-700"> <span class="qa-fact-checked-by">Fact-checked by</span> <div class="editor-popover popover p-0"> <a class="d-block p-20 font-12" href="/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419" > <div class="editor-title font-16 font-weight-bold">The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</div> <div class="editor-description font-12 font-serif mt-5 text-black">Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link font-12 "> The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</span></div></div> </div> <article class="topic-content content mt-20"><figure class="md-assembly md-feature-assembly print-false" data-type="1" data-descid="1"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media " data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/17/167717-050-C106E746/boys-mill-Macon-Georgia-1909.jpg" target="_blank" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center " data-href="*"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/17/167717-050-C106E746/boys-mill-Macon-Georgia-1909.jpg?w=600&q=60" alt="Young boys working in a thread spinning mill in Macon, Georgia, 1909. Boys are so small they have to climb onto the spinning frame to reach and fix broken threads and put back empty bobbins. Child labor. Industrial revolution" data-width="1600" data-height="1277" loading="eager"><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class=""><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div><cite class="credit d-block mt-5">Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (LC-DIG-nclc-01581)</cite></figcaption></figure><p class="topic-paragraph">The <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/Industrial-Revolution" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Industrial Revolution</a>, the period in which agrarian and handicraft economies shifted rapidly to industrial and machine-manufacturing-dominated ones, began in the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/United-Kingdom" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">United Kingdom</a> in the 18th century and later spread throughout many other parts of the world. This economic transformation changed not only how work was done and goods were produced, but it also altered how people related both to one another and to the planet at large. This wholesale change in societal organization continues today, and it has produced several effects that have rippled throughout <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Earth" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Earth</a>’s political, ecological, and cultural spheres. The following list describes some of the great benefits as well as some of the significant shortcomings associated with the Industrial Revolution.</p><span class="MOD1"></span><ul><li class="bullet"><p class="topic-paragraph"><strong>Pro: Goods Became More Affordable and More Accessible</strong></p><span class="MOD2"></span><p class="topic-paragraph"><a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/factory" class="md-crosslink bullet" data-show-preview="true">Factories</a> and the machines that they housed began to produce items faster and cheaper than could be made by hand. As the supply of various items rose, their cost to the consumer declined (<em>see</em> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/money/supply-and-demand" class="md-crosslink bullet" data-show-preview="true">supply and demand</a>). <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/shoe" class="md-crosslink bullet" data-show-preview="true">Shoes</a>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/dress-clothing" class="md-crosslink bullet" data-show-preview="true">clothing</a>, household goods, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/tool" class="md-crosslink bullet" data-show-preview="true">tools</a>, and other items that enhance people’s quality of life became more common and less expensive. Foreign <a href="https://www.britannica.com/money/market" class="md-crosslink bullet" data-show-preview="true">markets</a> also were created for these goods, and the balance of trade shifted in favor of the producer—which brought increased wealth to the companies that produced these goods and added <a href="https://www.britannica.com/money/taxation" class="md-crosslink bullet" data-show-preview="true">tax</a> revenue to government coffers. However, it also contributed to the wealth inequality between goods-producing and goods-consuming countries.</p><span class="MOD3"></span></li><li><p class="topic-paragraph"><strong>Pro: The Rapid Evolution of Labor-Saving Inventions</strong></p><span class="MOD4"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">The rapid production of hand tools and other useful items led to the development of new types of tools and vehicles to carry goods and people from one place to another. The growth of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/road" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">road</a> and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/railroad" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">rail</a> transportation and the invention of the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/telegraph" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">telegraph</a> (and its associated infrastructure of telegraph—and later <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/telephone" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">telephone </a>and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/fiber-optics" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">fiber optic</a>—lines) meant that word of advances in manufacturing, agricultural harvesting, energy production, and medical techniques could be communicated between interested parties quickly. Labor-saving machines such as the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/spinning-jenny" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">spinning jenny</a> (a multiple-spindle machine for spinning wool or cotton) and other inventions, especially those driven by <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/electricity" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">electricity</a> (such as home appliances and refrigeration) and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/fossil-fuel" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">fossil fuels</a> (such as automobiles and other fuel-powered vehicles), are also well-known products of the Industrial Revolution.</p><span class="MOD5"></span></li><li><p class="topic-paragraph"><strong>Pro: The Rapid Evolution of Medicine</strong></p><span class="MOD6"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">The Industrial Revolution was the engine behind various advances in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/medicine" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">medicine</a>. Industrialization allowed medical instruments (such as scalpels, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/microscope" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">microscope</a> lenses, test tubes, and other equipment) to be produced more quickly. Using machine manufacturing, refinements to these instruments could more efficiently roll out to the physicians that needed them. As communication between physicians in different areas improved, the details behind new cures and treatments for disease could be dispersed quickly, resulting in better care. </p><span class="MOD7"></span></li><li><p class="topic-paragraph"><strong>Pro: Enhanced Wealth and Quality of Life of the Average Person</strong></p><span class="MOD8"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Mass production lowered the costs of much-needed tools, clothes, and other household items for the common (that is, nonaristocratic) people, which allowed them to save <a href="https://www.britannica.com/money/money" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">money</a> for other things and build personal wealth. In addition, as new manufacturing machines were invented and new factories were built, new employment opportunities arose. No longer was the average person so closely tied to <a href="https://www.britannica.com/money/land-economics" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">land</a>-related concerns (such as being dependent upon the wages farm labor could provide or the plant and animal products farms could produce). Industrialization reduced the emphasis on landownership as the chief source of personal wealth. The rising demand for manufactured goods meant that average people could make their fortunes in cities as factory employees and as employees of businesses that supported the factories, which paid better wages than farm-related positions. Generally speaking, people could save some portion of their wages, and many had the opportunity to invest in profitable businesses, thereby growing their family “nest eggs.” The subsequent growth of the middle class in the United Kingdom and other industrializing societies meant that it was making inroads into the pool of economic power held by the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/aristocracy" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">aristocracy</a>. Their greater buying power and importance in society led to changes in laws that were updated to better handle the demands of an industrialized society. </p><span class="MOD9"></span></li><li><p class="topic-paragraph"><strong>Pro: The Rise of Specialist Professions</strong></p><span class="MOD10"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">As industrialization progressed, more and more rural folk flocked to the cities in search of better pay in the factories. To increase the factories’ overall <a href="https://www.britannica.com/money/efficiency-economics-and-organizational-analysis" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">efficiency</a> and to take advantage of new opportunities in the market, factory workers were trained to perform specialized tasks. Factory owners divided their workers into different groups, each group focusing on a specific task. Some groups secured and transported to the factories raw materials (namely <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/iron-chemical-element" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">iron</a>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/coal-fossil-fuel" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">coal</a>, and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/steel" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">steel</a>) used in mass production of goods, while other groups operated different machines. Some groups of workers fixed machines when they broke down, while others were charged with making improvements to them and overall factory operation.</p><span class="MOD11"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">As the factories grew and workers became more specialized, additional teachers and trainers were needed to pass on specialized skills. In addition, the housing, transportation, and recreational needs of factory workers resulted in the rapid expansion of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/city" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">cities</a> and towns. Governmental <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/bureaucracy" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">bureaucracies</a> grew to support these, and new specialized departments were created to handle traffic, sanitation, taxation, and other services. Other businesses within the towns also became more specialized as more builders, physicians, lawyers, and other workers were added to handle the various needs of the new residents.</p><span class="MOD12"></span></li><li><p class="topic-paragraph"><strong>Con: Overcrowding of Cities and Industrial Towns</strong></p><span class="MOD13"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">The promise of better wages attracted migrants to cities and industrial towns that were ill-prepared to handle them. Although initial housing shortages in many areas eventually gave way to construction booms and the development of modern buildings, cramped <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/slum" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">shantytowns</a> made up of shacks and other forms of poor-quality housing appeared first. Local sewerage and sanitation systems were overwhelmed by the sudden influx of people, and drinking water was often contaminated. People living in such close proximity, fatigued by poor working conditions, and drinking unsafe water presented ideal conditions for outbreaks of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/typhus" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">typhus</a>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/cholera" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">cholera</a>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/smallpox" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">smallpox</a>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/tuberculosis" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">tuberculosis</a>, and other infectious diseases. The need to treat these and other diseases in urban areas spurred medical advances and the development of modern building codes, health laws, and urban planning in many industrialized cities.</p><span class="MOD14"></span></li><li><p class="topic-paragraph"><strong>Con: Pollution and Other Environmental Ills</strong></p><span class="MOD15"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">With relatively few exceptions, the world’s modern environmental problems began or were greatly exacerbated by the Industrial Revolution. To fuel the factories and to sustain the output of each and every type of manufactured good, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/money/natural-resource-management" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">natural resources</a> (water, trees, soil, rocks and minerals, wild and domesticated animals, etc.) were transformed, which reduced the planet’s stock of valuable natural capital. The global challenges of widespread water and air <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/pollution-environment" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">pollution</a>, reductions in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/biodiversity" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">biodiversity</a>, destruction of wildlife habitat, and even <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/global-warming" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">global warming</a> can be traced back to this moment in human history. The more countries industrialize in pursuit of their own wealth, the greater this ecological transformation becomes. For example, atmospheric <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/carbon-dioxide" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">carbon dioxide</a>, a primary driver of global warming, existed in concentrations of 275 to 290 parts per million by volume (ppmv) before 1750 and increased to more than 400 ppmv by 2017. In addition, human beings use more than 40% of Earth’s land-based net primary production, a measure of the rate at which plants convert solar energy into food and growth. As the world’s human <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/population-biology-and-anthropology" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">population</a> continues to grow and more and more people strive for the material benefits promised by the Industrial Revolution, more and more of Earth’s resources are appropriated for human use, leaving a dwindling stock for the plants and animals upon whose ecosystem services (clean air, clean water, etc.) the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/biosphere" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">biosphere</a> depends.</p><span class="MOD16"></span></li><li><p class="topic-paragraph"><strong>Con: Poor Working Conditions</strong></p><span class="MOD17"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">When factories sprung up in the cities and industrial towns, their owners prized production and profit over all else. Worker safety and wages were less important. Factory workers earned greater wages compared with agricultural workers, but this often came at the expense of time and less than ideal working conditions. Factory workers often labored 14–16 hours per day six days per week. Men’s meager wages were often more than twice those of women. The wages earned by children who worked to supplement family income were even lower. The various machines in the factory were often dirty, expelling smoke and soot, and unsafe, both of which contributed to accidents that resulted in worker injuries and deaths. The rise of labor unions, however, which began as a reaction to child labor, made factory work less grueling and less dangerous. During the first half of the 20th century, child labor was sharply curtailed, the workday was reduced substantially, and government safety standards were rolled out to protect the workers’ health and well-being.</p><span class="MOD18"></span></li><li><p class="topic-paragraph"><strong>Con: The Rise in Unhealthy Habits</strong></p><span class="MOD19"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">As more cheap labor-saving devices become available, people performed less strenuous physical activity. While grueling farm-related labor was made far easier, and in many cases far safer, by replacing animal power and human power with <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/tractor-vehicle" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">tractors</a> and other specialized vehicles to till the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/soil" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">soil</a> and plant and harvest crops, other vehicles, such as trains and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/automobile" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">automobiles</a>, effectively reduced the amount of healthy exercise people partook in each day. Also, many professions that required large amounts of physical exertion outdoors were replaced by indoor office work, which is often sedentary. Such sedentary behaviors also occur away from work, as <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/television-technology" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">television</a> programs and other forms of passive entertainment came to dominate leisure time. Added to this is the fact that many people eat food that has been processed with <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/salt" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">salt</a> and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/sugar-chemical-compound" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">sugar</a> to help with its preservation, lower its <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/cooking" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">cooking</a> time, and increase its sweetness. Together, these lifestyle trends have led to increases in lifestyle-related diseases associated with <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/obesity" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">obesity</a>, such as <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/heart-disease" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">heart disease</a>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/diabetes" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">diabetes</a>, and certain forms of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/cancer-disease" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">cancer</a>.</p><span class="MOD20"></span></li></ul><span class="AM-END-OF-ARTICLE am-inline"></span></article> </div> </div> </div> <aside class="cm-rightrail d-none d-md-block ad-rail"></aside> </div> </div> </div> </div> </main> <div class="grid gx-0"> <div class="col"> <div class="md-loading hidden display-4 font-weight-normal"></div> <div class="text-center my-20 mb-100"> <button class="md-infinite-load-next btn btn-blue" data-value="next-page">Load More</button> </div> </div> <div class="col-md-da-320 hidden-xs"> </div> </div></div> </div> </main> <div id="md-footer"></div> <noscript><iframe src="//www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-5W6NC8" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript> <script type="text/javascript" id="_informizely_script_tag"> var IzWidget = IzWidget || {}; (function (d) { var scriptElement = d.createElement('script'); scriptElement.type = 'text/javascript'; scriptElement.async = true; scriptElement.src = "https://insitez.blob.core.windows.net/site/f780f33e-a610-4ac2-af81-3eb184037547.js"; var node = d.getElementById('_informizely_script_tag'); node.parentNode.insertBefore(scriptElement, node); } )(document); </script>  <script> window.ap3c = window.ap3c || {}; var ap3c = window.ap3c; ap3c.cmd = ap3c.cmd || []; ap3c.cmd.push(function() { ap3c.init('ZO4siT4cLwnykPnzZWJtd3Byb2Q', 'https://engage.email.britannica.com/'); ap3c.track({v: 0}); }); ap3c.activity = function(act) { ap3c.act = (ap3c.act || []); ap3c.act.push(act); }; var s, t; s = document.createElement('script'); s.type = 'text/javascript'; s.src = "https://engage.email.britannica.com/app.js"; t = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; t.parentNode.insertBefore(s, t); </script> <script class="marketing-page-info" type="application/json"> {"pageType":"Story","templateName":"COMPANION","pageNumber":1,"pagesTotal":11,"pageId":6360,"pageLength":null,"initialLoad":true,"lastPageOfScroll":false} </script> <script class="marketing-content-info" type="application/json"> [] </script> <script src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/js/libs/jquery-3.5.0.min.js?v=3.130.14"></script> <script type="text/javascript" data-type="Init Mendel Code Splitting"> (function() { $.ajax({ dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: 'https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/dist/story-page.js?v=3.130.14' }); })(); </script> <script class="analytics-metadata" type="application/json"> {"leg":"D","adLeg":"D","userType":"ANONYMOUS","pageType":"Story","pageSubtype":"COMPANION","articleTemplateType":null,"gisted":false,"pageNumber":1,"hasSummarizeButton":false,"hasAskButton":false} </script> <script type="text/javascript"> EBStat={accountId:-1,hostnameOverride:'webstats.eb.com',domain:'www.britannica.com', json:''}; </script> <script type="text/javascript"> ( function() { $.ajax( { dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: '//www.britannica.com/webstats/mendelstats.js?v=1' } ) .done( function() { try {writeStat(null,EBStat);} catch(err){} } ); })(); </script> <div id="bc-fixed-dialogue"></div> </body> </html>

CINXE.COM

The Rise of the Machines: Pros and Cons of the Industrial Revolution | Britannica