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Industries that most contributed to this sense of ever-quickening change and advancement include:
Agriculture - The introduction of new tools such as seed drills, and progress in new crop varieties, animal husbandry, and soil health led to a shift toward large-scale commercial farming and market-oriented agriculture. Rural workers and pooper peasants has a harder time making ends meet through traditional subsistence farming and many were forced to move to cities and become industrial laborers
Energy - The coal-fired steam engine was the catalyst for the Industrial Revolution, turning the wheels of factory production throughout Europe at a more efficient rate than prior energy sources. Because steam engines did not require local water resources, manufacturers had more freedom around where they could build, ultimately learning to the growth of industrial cities.
Metallurgy - The switch away from wood fuel, combined with some additional experimentation, led to the mass production of wrought iron. This malleable substance was used for fabricating machinery and other large, heavy industrial goods.
Chemicals - “This industry arose partly in response to the demand for improved bleaching solutions for cotton and other manufactured textiles. Other chemical research was motivated by the quest for artificial dyes, explosives, solvents, fertilizers, and medicines, including pharmaceuticals. In the second half of the 19th century, Germany became the world’s leader in industrial chemistry.”
Textiles - The production of cotton was especially fundamental to the economic development of Britain during this period. Beginning with a few technical devices such as the “spinning jenny,” spinning mule,” “carding machines,” and the “power loom,” cotton production became a large-scale, factory-based industry. In the United States, the cotton gin was also invented in 1793, spurring an increase in cotton cultivation and export from southern slave states.
Transportations - New forms of transportation were developed to keep up with the increased output of goods. Canals and railways were built in both Europe and North America, and the boats and trains that traveled them were powered by the newly developed steam power. The railroad industry became one of the world’s leading industries, expanding the frontier of industrial society.
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