Chapter 21 Self Reflection

I thought this chapter was very interesting to read. The industrial evolution was extremely important to the development of Europe, and would help shape many of the things that will help lead to the development of modern day Europe. I found it very interesting to see how the Industrial Revolution would shape the social and economic systems of Europe so dramatically, creating a new, powerful middle class and diving the labor into separate spheres between men and women. The huge developments in power and transportation led to the creation of powerful locomotives and manufacturing devices that gave man almost unlimited power for the first time in history. The growing population hurt the development of industry, much like how overpopulation threatens to destroy the economy of many nations around the world today. Unemployment was also huge at this time, and we face a similar crisis right now here in America. Along with the developments in industry, the ideas of economic liberalism and economic nationalism shone through as the two main economic systems in Europe at the time, and these will stay as two of the strongest economic systems even today. Basically, the Industrial Revolution would lead to the beginning of the transformation towards modern day Europe.