Daphne Pang
How did the Industrial Revolution of the 19th century impact
our world and contribute to what it is today? There were positive
and negative industrial, revolutionary, and imperial changes. Some
of the changes and their impacts will be examined and compared.
Some industrial changes include technological advancement in the
machinery and medical fields. Some revolutionary changes include
wars between countries and civil wars. Some imperial changes
include attempts, failed or successful, to gain land from other
countries. Technological and social progress affected society both
positively and negatively in the 19th century to early 20th century
before the world wars in The Americas and Japan.
During the 19th century and early 20th century, The Americas
went through a huge era of industrialization. This was the era of
technological advancement. The telephone enabled extended
families that live apart to communicate more easily and efficiently.
(Farely. “Telephone History”). (Kang. “Invention of the Telephone”).
(Russell. “Telephone History”). On the other hand, people who ran
telegraphs lost their jobs. With the invention of the airplane,
exploring uncharted areas was more feasible. Airplanes cause sound
and air pollution, which affect people’s lifestyles. (Garber. “Air
Travel: Its Impact on the Way We See Ourselves”) The steam
engine was another invention of efficiency, because trains, a fast
mode of transportation then, used the steam engine. The steam
engine causes air pollution as well, and furthermore requires largescale clearance of land for trains to operate, which is a drawback for
ecosystems. (Bolon. “Chronology of the History of Science”). (Lira.
“Brief History of the Steam Engine”). The car also made daily lives
more efficient. Cars were definitely a quicker mode of transport, but
they cause lots of air pollution. (Bottorff. “What Was The First Car?
A Quick History of the Automobile for Young People”). These
inventions have had big impacts when they were invented, and
many of them still impact our daily lives, whether they are positive
or negative impacts.
The Americas had gone through quite a few revolutionary
changes. Revolutionary changes would include their political and
social changes. Although the American Revolution (1775-1783)
happened before the 19th century, it has a big impact on our
modern world. This was when the thirteen British colonies in North
America claimed their independence. Britain lost a foothold in the
New World, and a source of furs. (Diltz. “American Revolution”).
The Mexican War of Independence (1810-1821) in the early 19th
century was a victory for Spanish colonies near Central America,
and a loss for the Spanish in Europe. (Kartha. “Mexican War of
Independence”). ("Mexican War of Independence Begins").
("Mexican War of Independence"). The American Civil War (18611865), when the North did not agree with the South, led to the
abolishment of slavery. That made it harder primary industries to
run, especially at plantations, where slaves used to work. (Bourque.
“American Culture: The American Civil War”). When slavery was
abolished (1865), African Americans were allowed to live more
freely and happily. Also, many Americans had to quit their jobs to
do the duties that were originally the slaves’ jobs. ("Latin American
Revolutions: 1800-1914") These revolutionary changes have
definitely shaped what America’s society is today.
After this period of revolution, came a time of imperial
changes. Imperialism is when industrialized countries extend their
area of influence beyond their borders. The United States purchased
Alaska from Russia (1867). This gave the Americans access to
valuable resources in Alaska, and the Russians lost their pool of
resources in North America. ("With this check, the United States
purchased Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million."). ("Treaty with
Russia for the Purchase of Alaska"). As a result of the SpanishAmerican War (1898), Cuba, The Philippines, and Puerto Rico
gained their independence. Unfortunately for Spain, they lost many
of their investments in the New World. ("The Spanish-American
War"). These imperial changes have been positive impacts for some
countries but negative for some others.
On the other side of the world, Japan had also gone through
many changes. They also had lots of industrialization. The Japanese
established factory systems, which gave them quicker access to
resources, but increased pollution levels. (Uchida. “Short History of
the Japanese Technology”). They also enhanced their transportation
systems, which meant more efficient transport, but it made them
prone to accidents relating to the environment. (Uchida. “Short
History of the Japanese Technology”). Crop planting was
commercialized. This was the foundation of the growth of Japanese
industries, but the use of fertilizers meant the release of chemicals
and toxin into the air. (Bringhurst and Darrow. “Strawberry
Breeding and Industry in Other Countries”). The technological
advances in Japan have caused positive and negative impacts as
well.
There were major revolutionary changes in Japan in the 19th
century. The abolishment of feudalism (1868) was when the
Japanese government declared all social classes equal. This was
when Western powers began to lose their control over Japan.
(Henderson. “Japan in the 19th century”). The Meiji
Restoration/Revolution (1868) promoted domestic stability,
industrialization, education, and government, to mention a few. This
was quite successful, but had interferences, for example civil war.
(Gordon. “Tokugawa Period's Influence on Meiji Restoration”).
(Mlynde. “Imperialism Japan”). (Uchida. “Short History of the
Japanese Technology”). ("The Meiji Restoration and
Modernization"). ("Meiji Period (1868 - 1912)"). These changes
pointed Japan to economic and social stability, but had their
disruptions on the way.
Many imperial events involving Japan occurred around the
turn of the century. The Meiji Constitution (1889) gave men the
power over the family, and women were denied many rights, by
living under the control of the men. (Reese. “The Meiji Reforms and
Obstacles for Women Japan, 1878-1927”). The Japanese attempts
to conquer Korea (1894-1910) were opportunities for Japan to
expand their borders onto mainland Asia, but they were defeated
and weakened by Western powers. (Gordon. “Explanations of
Japan’s Imperialistic Expansion, 1894-1910”). Japan’s imperial
changes have made positive and negative impacts.
There were some mutual changes in both places. In the
medical world in The Americas, anesthesia was developed. People
could be treated painlessly. This technology was complex, so there
were accidents involving the misuse of anesthesia. Japan also had
medical technology advancement. The life expectancy increased,
leading to urbanization and growth in economy. Since this was new
technology at the time, the chances of malpractice were more likely
than they are now. ("Anesthesia - Topic Overview"). Also, both
areas had advancement in military equipment. They were significant
weapons in war, and could be used to dominate and control other
countries. Along with machineguns and handguns, came larger
weapons of mass destruction, which could cost some places lots of
money and time to rebuild. These common changes also had their
pros and cons in the American and Japanese society.
There have been many industrial, revolutionary, and imperial
changes in The Americas and Japan, like technological
advancements, wars, and (attempted) expansion of legal borders.
Evidence shows that these changes have impacted the societies in
the mentioned places in the 19th century and early 20th century.
Technological and social progress affected society both positively
and negatively in the 19th century to early 20th century before the
world wars in The Americas and Japan.
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