The Industrial Revolution began in Great Britain in the first half of the twentieth century and quickly spread to the European continent; however, it did not take off as quickly in Russia. The reasons for this are primarily to do with the Russian social and economic situation compared to the situation in Western Europe at the same time. To put it simply, Russia had no urban working class, only rural serfs who were tied to the land they worked on. In 1861 the serfs were emancipated and Russia began its unwieldy movement towards industrialization. Progress was slow for the first two decades, but by the mid-1880s Russian industry was beginning to takeoff and in the 1890s it exploded as the Russian state deliberately involved itself in the development and ownership of manufacturing centers.

Henry Ford invented the Model-T, the first mass-produced automobile. He also popularized the use of assembly lines and mass production. The concept of the assembly line, and the cheap mass production it provides, is closely associated with Ford to the point where it is sometimes called “Fordism.”

Although all of these industries would rapidly be affected by the Industrial Revolution, the first industry to be affected was the textile industry. A “textile” is a type of hand-produced or machine-produced fabric (like clothes). Before the Industrial Revolution the textile industry was concentrated in small cottage industries that produced unique products, but in small quantities and at a relatively inefficient cost. After the Industrial Revolution the textile industry was transformed. Textile manufacturing was transitioned to factories that produced large quantities of uniform products in an extremely cost effective manner.

The Industrial Revolution began in northern England in the first half of the nineteenth century. The Industrial Revolution involved the use of heavy machinery in manufacturing for the first time. It completely altered the social, economic, and political makeup of Europe, and later much of the rest of the world.

The term “cottage industry” refers to a business that rather than being carried out in a factory, where it would be more profitable but also more uniform, is instead carried out in people’s homes. Cottage industries were preeminent before the Industrial Revolution and remain influential for people who want to make money, or buy products, outside of the commercial factory system.

The Industrial Revolution brought former farmers into the cities to work in factories. These farmers used to grow food for themselves and their families and now needed other ways to get food. Canning foods was a simple solution that made it possible for cities to have access to food.

All are true except the resistance to change. The Southern states would've welcomed technological advances if it meant that life would be easier for them, but they didn't have the necessary provisions in place to become industrialized as quickly as the North did.

At the start of the Industrial Revolution, demand for coal soared. People began to rely less on wood and more on coal. Coal also became easier to produce and move.