Industrial Revolution Lead To Social Changes example essay topic
The French Revolution, the American Revolution, and the Industrial Revolution all took place in the late 1700's. Although each had a different purpose, they all lead to a better way of life for many. The French and American Revolutions are examples of some which are brought about and enforced solely by the people. Although they had different reasons behind them, both had the same idea behind them- social change. The Industrial Revolution was different, it was a technological revolution which had positive social outcomes. While one can easily compare the French and American Revolutions because of their social causes and outcomes, the Industrial Revolution can only be compared to the other two when examining their outcomes.
The French Revolution was one of the larger social revolutions. It can be considered a revolution on the political, social, religious, and economic front, although the biggest causes were social. The French Revolution began on July 14, 1789, with the fall of Bastille and continued until the rise of power of Napoleon Bonaparte. The main reason behind the revolution was the unfair treatment between classes in France. There were three main classes, called estates.
The First Estate held the higher clergy. In the Second Estate were the close to 80,000 families that belonged to nobility. They owned land, held positions in the country, and paid no taxes. Most of the French population was in the Third Estate.
Life for those in this estate was horrible, as they were continually mistreated and given no fair chance at succeeding. This was the estate that lead the revolution. The people felt the need for change, and created the change that they wanted. The revolution among the people lead to changes in France, including the adaptation of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen. The society saw there was a need for change, and took the opportunity to create it.
They ran the revolution. Much like the French Revolution, the American Revolution was brought upon by the people who wanted a change. Growing numbers of immigrants added to the population in the lower and middle classes in the country, making overcrowding and poor conditions. As cities started to grow, the government- located across the ocean- decided to try and make changes, including larger taxes. The people in America did not like the idea of being ruled over by people so far away, so they began their search for new forms of authority. The people looked for independence, and their search led them to a war and the Revolution.
As the country became free and independent, more and more changes were made. The Declaration of Independence was signed, and the Bill of Rights was issued. While it was largely political that change came from the American Revolution, it was America's people created, fought, and won the American Revolution, leading to a better life for them all. Unlike France and America's revolutions, the Industrial Revolution did not come from the people's wants or active needs. Rather, it was only aided by their intervention. The Industrial Revolution transformed English, European, and American society.
The outcomes from the Industrial Revolution, however, were all social. New social relationships were created as people began to work with one another. The Revolution also created Europe's working class; the amount of families getting their income from working the land at home changed from 80% to 40% as people began to leave the farms and go to work in factories. While the Industrial Revolution lead to social changes, the revolution itself was technological. All three Revolutions are social in their outcomes, the French and American Revolutions with their new system of the lives in society and the Industrial Revolution with a new way of life for society, it is only the French and American Revolutions that were social in their nature. While they can easily be compared, the Industrial Revolution can only be compared when talking about the outcomes.
It is the outcomes, however, that make the Revolutions so important. They created a better life for everyone, and had they not happened the way of life would be very different.