ABSTRACT

The industrial revolution was the single most important development in human history over the past three centuries, and it continues to shape the contemporary world. With new methods and organizations for producing goods, industrialization altered where people live, how they play, and even how they define political issues. By exploring the ways the industrial revolution reshaped world history, this book offers a unique look into the international factors that started the industrial revolution and its global spread and impact.

In the fourth edition, noted historian Peter N. Stearns continues his global analysis of the industrial revolution with new discussions of industrialization outside of the West, including the study of India, the Middle East, and China. In addition, an expanded conclusion contains an examination of the changing contexts of industrialization. The Industrial Revolution in World History is essential for students of world history and economics, as well as for those seeking to know more about the global implications of what is arguably the defining socioeconomic event of modern times.

chapter |18 pages

Introduction

Defining the Industrial Revolution

part 1|88 pages

The First Phase, 1760–1880

chapter 1|19 pages

Britain’s Revolution

New Processes and Economic Transformation

chapter 2|12 pages

New Causes

Why Did the Industrial Revolution Happen, and Why Did It Happen in Eighteenth-Century Britain?

chapter 5|18 pages

The Industrial Revolution Outside the West

part 2|92 pages

The Second Phase, 1880–1950

chapter 7|18 pages

The Industrial Revolution in Russia

chapter 8|20 pages

The Industrial Revolution in Japan

chapter 9|18 pages

New Developments in Western Societies: A Second Revolution?

Redefinitions of the Industrial Economy

part 3|90 pages

The Third Phase, 1950s–2000s

chapter 12|18 pages

New Industrial Revolutions

chapter 13|9 pages

The Less Industrial World

Evolution and Exploitation

chapter 14|16 pages

Postindustrial Societies and Global Balance

chapter 15|9 pages

Global Industry and the Environment

chapter 17|8 pages

Conclusions