History Connections With the Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution was, first and foremost, a movement towards innovation and new ideas. This movement began in the mid to late eighteenth century and continued for almost two hundred years. All across Europe, railroads were built, coal and iron were mined, and production of goods skyrocketed.  This huge change relates directly to the French Revolution because of their similar characteristics. Both revolutions started small, with whispers and rumors of a better way of life. Next, people took action and made an effort to change their lives. While French revolutionaries worked to overthrow the king and take power into their own hands, people of the Industrial Revolution began doing business on a huge scale in an effort to increase income and technology. They both ended with partial success, accomplishing much but encountering many problems during their struggles. 

The slave trade connects to the Industrial Revolution because slaves were directly related to growing businesses.  Many slaves were forced to work on cotton and other types of plantations, giving their masters free labor and a chance to increase profit without increasing expenses. Slaves were also traded as property, speeding along industrial growth.