From the mid-1800s, industrialism spread rapidly across Europe to North America and beyond. During this second Industrial Revolution, the western world acquired greater wealth and power than any other societies in the past. Big businesses emerged that dwarfed those of other eras. Economic and social changes transformed daily life. By the early 1900s, the western world had taken on much of the structure and patterns of life that are familiar to us today.
The spread of industry, the development of new technologies, and the rise of big business marked the second Industrial Revolution.
The population of cities grew as people moved to urban centers for jobs.
The Industrial Revolution changed the social order in the western world, and new ideas challenged long-held traditions.
New artistic styles emerged as a reaction to the Industrial Revolution.