Some academics are saying that we're in the midst of the Fourth Industrial Revolution... I didn't even know there was a second or a third!
I want to finish off our capitalism saga in the next couple of weeks so we can move onto more interesting things that don't just primarily involve Western Europe. After all, these examples are common in GAMSAT essays, so we want to have some others under our belt as well. However, all these capitalism examples are super important because they affect so much of our lives today, no matter where we are in the world.
Capitalism gave rise to the Industrial Revolution. Hence, we are addressing it today.
The Industrial Revolution wasn't a typical revolution. Revolutions typically have an end date (think the British, French, American etc. etc.), but the Industrial Revolution is kind of still going on today. Industrialisation is a continuing phenomenon and is deeply woven into the fabric of modern society (hence, it would make for a good example in a GAMSAT essay!)
As Merchant capitalism declined in the mid-18th century, Industrial capitalism began to take its place. Merchants were replaced by industrialists as the dominant actor in the capitalist system, which led to the demise of artisans, guilds, and handcrafts, and the dawn of the machine.
In around 1760, textile manufacturing led the way for industrialisation and this was followed by the steady transition of new manufacturing processes in a variety of industries powered mostly by water, steam, and then coal.
The gradual transition into industrialisation caused the mass migration of labourers into urban areas, overpopulation and disgustingly unhygienic living conditions in major cities, a change in the familial unit, outbreaks of diseases like smallpox and tuberculosis, the labour of women and children, and the further development of hierarchical class systems into the bourgeoisie and the proletariats. We can trace our roots of working for the man back to here. Thanks, Industrial Revolution.
I think the most important thing about this topic is that you understand how industrialisation impacts our lives today. Think about how our economic, social, political, and even psychological systems are all fabricated around the development of the machine! My advice: dive in with your research and find an interesting angle that you can remember and write about.
