The impact of the Industrial Revolution on British society Britain had not changed much in centuries, in 1800 it was still a rural country, dominated by agriculture. Most families had not been far outside of their own village, the furthest might have been the closest market town. This was not weird considering it was a time when the fastest thing on earth was a galloping horse. Life was slow and daylight and the seasons ruled the countryside. The Industrial Revolution was going to change all this, and it was definitely a period in British history that changed British society drastically. The steam engine was first invented by James Watt in 1769, but his exclusive control over his own invention had prevented important development and kept prices high. It was not before the nineteenth century the real impact of steam was fully felt. Steam had a huge impact, it pretty much changed everything. It was not only faster, but also more powerful, and worked of natural power sources like water. Traction …show more content…
Most farmers were out of work due to the invention steam, and moved therefore to the closest town to find work. This resulted in an increase in the population in especially Manchester and Sheffield, these big towns quadrupled between 1801 and 1851, towns such as Bradford and Glasgow grew eightfold. England’s once agriculture society was changing, and there was no doubt that cities were starting to take over. Manchester became the world’s first industrial city, more efficient ways of weaving cotton turned this city into the most important British centre of the cotton industry. Dewsbury grew also during the 19th century, and became an important centre of the ‘shoddy’ industry; which is the recycling of old woollen products to create new woollen products of inferior