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The Industrial Revolution: It Changed the World
For both good and ill
The Industrial Revolution changed the world, for both good and ill.
The Home Was the Means of Production
Prior to the Industrial Revolution, people made their own goods or bought them from small shops. If you’ve ever read the Little House books, you can read how Ma made beautifully fitted clothes for her family.
During pre-Industrial times, women were an important economic contributor to the home. They knit socks, made and mended clothing, made their own soap, and kept kitchen gardens. Some women had looms and made their own cloth. They often had home remedies on hand to treat ailments.
Men also did a lot of the work around their farms or homes that we’d now hire people to do. They patched their own roofs or made simple furniture for the family as well as repairing tools and caring for livestock.
Skilled craftsmen would do specialty crafts such as shoeing horses, making tools, or creating ceramics.
In order to train someone in advanced skills, the master craftsman would take on apprentices. They would live in the master’s household while learning.
On the one hand, there was a great deal of self-sufficiency and independence. On…
