The Industrial Revolution was from 1760-1830. It started in Britain when James Watt built his own steam engine. Due to the increased efficiency of this version compared to a previous model in terms of fuel, it was able to be used in a factory to mass produce items. Using this, the Industrial Revolution begun.
One of the major changes early on was the change from wood to coal, which powered the steam engines. This was because coal required less effort to get in large quantities than wood and was also more abundant than wood. Coal had been used in smelting for a few decades beforehand, but it had never seen so much use. Coal was important for iron puddling, a dangerous job that involved the creation of iron on a greater scale. Iron puddlers lived to be about 40 years old and mainly used imported iron and steel from Switzerland and Russia.
Coal was mined for well over a century, but once water was found the mine was abandoned. However, the steam engine allows for water to be pumped out of the mines, meaning more coal could be retrieved. Small children were often used to bring the coal up to the surface and they ran most of the machines.
Later on, new abilities allowed humanity to create glass and paper in large numbers and also invented gas lighting. Railroads were made for wagons to move along and then replaced by steam trains which were arguably the first modern vehicle and traveled at roughly 50 miles per hour, insanely fast at the time, though average nowadays.
Housing conditions in the era were poor. 8-10 unrelated people could be living in a cramped shack with a dirt floor and no furniture. Beside each shack there was another shack attached to it. Water supplies were contaminated quickly and diseases such as Tuberculosis, Typhoid and Cholera spread throughout the poor populace in a matter of weeks.
One of the major changes early on was the change from wood to coal, which powered the steam engines. This was because coal required less effort to get in large quantities than wood and was also more abundant than wood. Coal had been used in smelting for a few decades beforehand, but it had never seen so much use. Coal was important for iron puddling, a dangerous job that involved the creation of iron on a greater scale. Iron puddlers lived to be about 40 years old and mainly used imported iron and steel from Switzerland and Russia.
Coal was mined for well over a century, but once water was found the mine was abandoned. However, the steam engine allows for water to be pumped out of the mines, meaning more coal could be retrieved. Small children were often used to bring the coal up to the surface and they ran most of the machines.
Later on, new abilities allowed humanity to create glass and paper in large numbers and also invented gas lighting. Railroads were made for wagons to move along and then replaced by steam trains which were arguably the first modern vehicle and traveled at roughly 50 miles per hour, insanely fast at the time, though average nowadays.
Housing conditions in the era were poor. 8-10 unrelated people could be living in a cramped shack with a dirt floor and no furniture. Beside each shack there was another shack attached to it. Water supplies were contaminated quickly and diseases such as Tuberculosis, Typhoid and Cholera spread throughout the poor populace in a matter of weeks.
Over two thirds of the workers during the Industrial Revolution were children who were paid 10%-20% of a regular adult wage to avoid be considered slaves by the law. Children were said to be as good as adults at working machines as nobody had experience with them. They were used to pull coal out of mines and sweep chimneys with a lit fire at the bottom to hurry them up. The average age of a children born in the time was 31. Laws were passed in 1842 and 1844 decreasing child cruelty by allowing a child to work in a mine only if they were over nine years old, children couldn't work at night and they could only work for up to 12 hours of the day. Later on, women and children were illegal to be found in a coal mine in Britain, though child labour was still used in other countries until the 20th century.