The Industrial Revolution was a drastic turning point in world history. It influenced nearly every aspect of human life, forged new connections between distant communities, and transformed modes of production. This article explains some of these changes and how their impacts—both positive and negative—were experienced differently across lines of class, gender, and race in different parts of the world.

In this short article you will learn about the many ways the Industrial Revolution influenced society, both in Britain where it began, and around the world. This article should help you to understand the ways in which the Industrial Revolution changed the nature of work, living conditions, and global connections. That information will be important evidence when you consider wider questions of continuity and change in this era.

Think about the following question as you read the article: To what extent does this article explain the development of economic systems, ideologies, and institutions and how they contributed to change in the period from 1750 to 1900? Write this question at the top of the Three Close Reads worksheet. You will be asked to respond to this question again after the third read in the Evaluating and Corroborating section of the worksheet.

Read 1—Skimming for Gist

Fill out the Skimming for Gist section of the Three Close Reads worksheet as you complete your first close read. As a reminder, this should be a quick process!

Read 2—Understanding Content

For this reading, you should be looking for unfamiliar vocabulary words, the major claim and key supporting details, and analysis and evidence. By the end of the second close read, you should be able to answer the following questions:

1. How did the Industrial Revolution change family structures in Britain?
2. What role did women and children play in the industrial economy? Did they benefit from factory labor?
3. What kinds of benefits or opportunities did the Industrial Revolution create for people in Britain?
4. How did the Industrial Revolution affect the daily lives and labor of people outside of Europe such as enslaved Africans or colonial subjects?
5. In the article, the author cites historian Thomas Finger who argued that “wheat—as much as coal—powered England’s factories.” What does he mean by this? How did wheat power England’s factories, and how did the demand for wheat transform wheat-producing societies around the world?

Read 3—Evaluating and Corroborating

At the end of the third close read, respond to the following questions:

1. To what extent does this article explain the development of economic systems, ideologies, and institutions and how they contributed to change in the period from 1750 to 1900?
2. According to the author, the changes ushered in by the Industrial Revolution had a ripple effect around the world. Using the evidence surrounding either sugar, wheat, or copper provided in the article, trace and explain one of these ripples.
3. Imagine you are a new wage-laborer that recently moved from a rural farm community to an industrial city. Using information from the article, explain how your life has changed. What new hardships or opportunities might you face?

In 1793, the world economy was beginning a huge transformation. Yet, most people weren’t aware of it. Though Britain and Western Europe would soon emerge as dominant global empires, in 1793, China and South Asia remained the most important regions in the global economy. This video considers the global economy through an encounter between Britain and China. In 1793, Lord Macartney launched an expedition from Portsmouth. He traveled to meet with the Qianlong Emperor in China to request more trade between England and China. His failure highlighted several facts about the shifting global economy.

The end of the eighteenth century was a period of revolutionary political and economic transformation. This video provides an introduction to the global economy as it existed at the end of the eighteenth century. After the Macartney expedition, global power would begin to shift in some revolutionary ways. This video will provide you evidence to evaluate how transformations in one part of the world could reverberate globally and in other societies. It will also prepare you to evaluate the impacts of the Industrial Revolution on the global economy.

Think about the following question as you watch the video: To what extent does this video explain how industrialization changed the modes and locations of production from 1750 to 1900? You will be asked to respond to this question again at the end of the video.

Preview—Skimming for Gist

As a reminder, open and skim the transcript, and read the questions before you watch the video.

Key Ideas—Understanding Content

Think about the following questions as you watch this video:

1. Why was Portsmouth important?
2. Where was the economic center of the world at the end of the eighteenth century?
3. Why were Europeans more interested in trade with China than the Chinese were in trade with Europe?
4. What roles did European powers in the Indian Ocean (other than Britain) play in the global economy?
5. Why did Lord Macartney travel to China?
6. Did Macartney succeed? Why or why not?

Evaluating and Corroborating

1. To what extent does this video explain how industrialization changed the modes and locations of production from 1750 to 1900?
2. Based on this video, do you think China or Britain had the stronger economy in 1793? Which would you predict would go on to be the economic powerhouse of the nineteenth century? Why?
3. How were British and Chinese society similar in 1793? How were they different?

When China lost to the British in the Opium Wars, some people in Japan saw that as a wake-up call. Japan’s economy was stagnating, and internal political divisions made the country weak in the face of European imperial powers. When the United States sent Matthew Perry and four warships to Tokyo Bay in 1853, the Shogunate was forced to open Japan’s ports to foreign influence. This event launched a civil war, as reformers seized power in the name of the Meiji emperor. Using the emperor as a national symbol, they set about modernizing Japan. Their success shocked the world.

This article provides evidence at the national level to respond to the Unit 5 Problem: “How did different parts of the world experience the revolutionary transformations that occurred from c. 1750 to 1900 CE?” In particular, this article outlines the political transformations in nineteenth-century Japan that set the stage for a unique and successful experiment in industrialization.

Think about the following question as you read the article: Describe the extent to which this article explains the causes and effects of economic strategies of different states and empires. Write this question at the top of the Three Close Reads worksheet. You will be asked to respond to this question again after the third read in the Evaluating and Corroborating section of the worksheet.

Read 1—Skimming for Gist

Fill out the Skimming for Gist section of the Three Close Reads worksheet as you complete your first close read. As a reminder, this should be a quick process!

Read 2—Understanding Content

For this reading, you should be looking for unfamiliar vocabulary words, the major claim and key supporting details, and analysis and evidence. By the end of the second close read, you should be able to answer the following questions:

1. Why was the arrival of American warships such a shock to the Japanese? What domestic problems did Matthew Perry’s arrival worsen?
2. The Tokugawa Shogunate had kept the emperor as a figurehead and religious symbol. This article is titled the “Meiji Restoration”. Did the restoration actually place the emperor back into power? Use evidence from the article to explain your reasoning.
3. After the restoration, the emperor put many samurai into government and into positions of power. But how was this different from the previous political system?
4. What steps did the reformers take to modernize Japan?
5. Why was Japan’s victory over Russia so important?

Read 3—Evaluating and Corroborating

At the end of the third close read, respond to the following questions:

1. Describe the extent to which this article explains the causes and effects of economic strategies of different states and empires.
2. The Meiji Restoration made possible a huge economic transformation in Japan and East Asia. It made Japan an economic power on par with many European nations. What effect did this change have on Japanese society?
3. Think back to earlier in this unit, when we examined all kinds of political revolutions. The Meiji Restoration revolutionized Japan, but was it a political revolution? Compare and contrast the Meiji Restoration and a political revolution you learned about earlier in this unit.

Iwasaki Yatarō grew up poor in a society in upheaval. Japan was trying to adapt to a changing world and to ensure it remained independent in a competitive and imperial world. A man with a great reputation for ruthlessness, Iwasaki Yatarō joined the samurai and business leaders clamoring to industrialize the countryside. He ended up creating the Mitsubishi company, building ships, and later, cars. His life represents the opportunities, but also the costs, of rapid industrialization.

A number of societies in this period industrialized, but often in distinct ways. Japan’s industrialization followed European and American patterns but also took its own distinct direction. This graphic biography provides biographical-level evidence to help you assess the impact of the Industrial Revolution, and to evaluate how it was experienced differently by distinct groups and classes in different countries. In particular, it demonstrates industrialization as an opportunity for individuals to create social transformation for themselves.

Read 1: Observe

As you read this graphic biography for the first time, review the Read 1: Observe section of your Three Close Reads for Graphic Bios Tool. Be sure to record one question in the thought bubble on the top-right. You don’t need to write anything else down. However, if you’d like to record your observations, feel free to do so on scrap paper.

Read 2: Understand

On the tool, summarize the main idea of the comic and provide two pieces of evidence that helped you understand the creator’s main idea. You can do this only in writing or you can get creative with some art. Some of the evidence you find may come in the form of text (words). But other evidence will come in the form of art (images). You should read the text looking for unfamiliar vocabulary words, the main idea, and key supporting details. You should also spend some time looking at the images and the way in which the page is designed. By the end of the second close read, you should be able to answer the following questions:

1. What were Iwasaki Yatarō’s origins?
2. Why did many in Japan want to industrialize in the late nineteenth century?
3. What did Iwasaki Yatarō himself do, and how was he regarded by people in Nagasaki?
4. What do you think is the meaning of the quote from Isawaki’s biographer?
5. How does the artist represent changes in both Japan and Isawaki using art in this biography?

Read 3: Connect

In this read, you should use the graphic biography as evidence to support, extend, or challenge claims made in this unit of the course. On the bottom of the tool, record what you learned about this person’s life and how it relates to what you’re learning.

1. To what extent does this article explain how different modes and locations of production have developed and changed over time?
2. How does this biography of Iwasaki Yatarō support, extend, or challenge what you have learned about industrialization in Japan? About the impact of industrialization on people and societies more generally?

To Be Continued…

On the second page of the tool, your teacher might ask you to extend the graphic biography to a second page. This is where you can draw and write what you think might come next. Here, you can become a co-creator of this graphic biography!

In this comparison activity, you’ll compare how two different nations attempted to industrialize in the nineteenth century. This activity helps you practice and refine your comparison skills. This will help you differentiate between historical events and processes, and enable you to analyze those similarities and differences to generate a more meaningful understanding of history.

Reading, writing
In this activity, you’ll use your close-reading skills to pull out information in each of the articles to complete the Comparison Tool. In addition to practicing your reading skills, you’ll work on your writing by crafting two thesis statements for a comparison prompt.

Industrialization began in Great Britain in the eighteenth century but soon spread to regions all over the world. By the nineteenth century, nations were attempting to industrialize quickly. Sometimes this worked and sometimes it didn’t. In this activity, you’ll look at two different nations that began industrializing in this era: Japan and Egypt. Then, you’ll evaluate the similarities and differences to craft two thesis statements.

First, can you think of any reasons why attempts at industrialization might have worked well in some nations and not as well in others? Be prepared to share your answers with the class.

Your teacher will either hand out or have you download the Comparison – Egypt and Japan worksheet and divide the class into small groups. Then, one half of the group will read the article “Japan’s Industrial Revolution” while the other half reads the article “Egypt’s Industrial Revolution.” You’ll work individually to read your article and answer the questions in Part 1: Identifying and Describing of the Comparison Tool, which is included in the worksheet. After you’ve answered the questions for your article, come back together with your group to complete the similarities and differences column of Part 1.

After all sections in Part 1 of the tool have been answered, work with your group to use the similarities and differences identified and described in Part 1 to complete Part 2 of the tool. In Part 2, you’ll write two thesis statements in response to the following prompts:

• What was the most significant similarity between Japan and Egypt’s industrial revolutions?
• What was the most significant difference between Japan and Egypt’s industrial revolutions?

Remember that you can use the acronym ADE (amount, depth, and endurance) to help determine historical significance. Consider if these similarities and differences affected most people in Japan and Egypt (amount); if people in Japan and Egypt were deeply affected by these similarities and differences (depth); or these similarities and differences were long lasting (endurance).

Finally, you’ll use your thesis statements to individually write a paragraph response that fully answers the question How were Japan and Egypt’s Industrial Revolutions the most similar and the most different?

Your teacher will collect your worksheets and paragraph responses to evaluate how your comparison skills are progressing.

During the second half of the nineteenth century, a new generation of political leaders in Japan sought to rapidly modernize the country in order to protect it from foreign invasion and control. Though they lacked the raw materials—like coal—that made industrialization possible elsewhere, the new government implemented drastic measures to train workers, build factories, and secure both natural resources and a broader consumer base beyond Japan’s borders.

The purpose of this reading is to provide you with one example of how the Industrial Revolution took shape in a region of the world that did not have access to raw materials like coal. Because Japan successfully industrialized and remains an industrial power today, it serves as a useful example of industrialization outside of Great Britain. This evidence can help you to evaluate continuity and change resulting from the Industrial Revolution.

Think about the following question as you read the article: Describe the extent to which this article explains the causes and effects of economic strategies of different states and empires. Write this question at the top of the Three Close Reads worksheet. You will be asked to respond to this question again after the third read in the Evaluating and Corroborating section of the worksheet.

Read 1—Skimming for Gist

Fill out the Skimming for Gist section of the Three Close Reads worksheet as you complete your first close read. As a reminder, this should be a quick process!

Read 2—Understanding Content

For this reading, you should be looking for unfamiliar vocabulary words, the major claim and key supporting details, and analysis and evidence. By the end of the second close read, you should be able to answer the following questions:

1. What were three key features of Japanese society before 1868?
2. What was the economic problem Japan faced when American warships sailed into Tokyo Bay?
3. Who were the Meiji, and what role did they plan in the industrialization of Japan?
4. What is defensive modernization, and how is it different from other industrialization processes you have read about?
5. Explain one aspect of industrialization in Japan that was similar to industrialization in Europe and the United States.

Read 3—Evaluating and Corroborating

At the end of the third close read, respond to the following questions:

1. Describe the extent to which this article explains the causes and effects of economic strategies of different states and empires.
2. What does the author mean when he states that, “while Japan fits into the wider model of changes to production and distribution brought in by the Industrial Revolution, its particular place within this system is unique?”

During the nineteenth century, Egypt emerged as a promising industrial power. Under new political leadership, Egypt became a major producer of cotton. However, ultimately Egypt’s industrialization efforts failed. This article examines the rise and fall of industrialization in Egypt during this era.

In the previous article, you learned how Japan was able to successfully industrialize despite the threat of foreign interventions and without natural resources like coal. However, not all countries that sought to industrialize shared the same success. In this reading, you will learn about industrialization efforts in Egypt and the possible reasons why these efforts ultimately failed. This article should help you to better understand how the change created by the Industrial Revolution had different outcomes in different regions.

Think about the following question as you read the article: Describe the extent to which this article explains the causes and effects of economic strategies of different states and empires. How do these economic strategies compare to that of Japan? Write this question at the top of the Three Close Reads worksheet. You will be asked to respond to this question again after the third read in the Evaluating and Corroborating section of the worksheet.

Read 1—Skimming for Gist

Fill out the Skimming for Gist section of the Three Close Reads worksheet as you complete your first close read. As a reminder, this should be a quick process!

Read 2—Understanding Content

For this reading, you should be looking for unfamiliar vocabulary words, the major claim and key supporting details, and analysis and evidence. By the end of the second close read, you should be able to answer the following questions:

1. Who was Muhammad Ali, and how did he try to industrialize Egypt?
2. How did these economic changes affect the lives and labor practices of Egyptian peasants?
3. What were the three main reasons industrialization failed in Egypt?
4. How did Egypt’s economic decline reshape people’s ideas about industrialization and modernization? What were some of the solutions Egyptian scholars and leaders proposed for modernizing Egypt more effectively?
5. What role did foreign powers play in the aftermath of Egypt’s industrial collapse? How did these global forces impact Egyptian society?

Read 3—Evaluating and Corroborating

At the end of the third close read, respond to the following questions:

1. Describe the extent to which this article explains the causes and effects of economic strategies of different states and empires. How do these economic strategies compare to that of Japan?
2. How did industrialization transform society and labor practices in nineteenth-century Egypt?
3. According to the author of this article, “Egypt’s industrialization and actual independence had both been ended by 1882.” How would you compare Egypt’s experience to that of Japan?

India led the world in cotton production for centuries before the Industrial Revolution. But this shifted really quickly after 1750, when textile manufacturing shifted to Britain. But that shift didn’t just happen. It was a purposeful British policy to de-industrialize the Indian economy to protect British manufacturers, and it had a lasting impact on India’s production and independence.

This article provides evidence from India to help you to respond to the Unit Problem, which asks you to assess what changes happened due to revolutions in this era. Specifically. this article will help you investigate how the arrival of the Industrial Revolution (in the form of Western imperial powers) affected Indian social organizations and economic systems.

Think about the following question as you read the article: To what extent does this article provide evidence to explain how different modes and locations of production have developed and changed over time? Write this question at the top of the Three Close Reads worksheet. You will be asked to respond to this question again after the third read in the Evaluating and Corroborating section of the worksheet.

Read 1—Skimming for Gist

Fill out the Skimming for Gist section of the Three Close Reads worksheet as you complete your first close read. As a reminder, this should be a quick process!

Read 2—Understanding Content

For this reading, you should be looking for unfamiliar vocabulary words, the major claim and key supporting details, and analysis and evidence. By the end of the second close read, you should be able to answer the following questions:

1. What effects did the industrialization of cotton cloth production have on the Indian economy?
2. Why was de-industrialization a bad thing for India?
3. What political explanations does the author give for this economic failure?
4. Why did India suffer so many famines in the nineteenth century?

Read 3—Evaluating and Corroborating

At the end of the third close read, respond to the following questions:

1. To what extent does this article provide evidence to explain how different modes and locations of production have developed and changed over time?
2. You’ve now read four articles about four very different sorts of experience with Western imperialism and industrialization. Why do you think that Japan escaped the sort of colonialism and de-industrialization that Egypt and India experienced, and industrialized in a way that was similar to Britain?
3. How does an event like the de-industrialization of India support, extend, or challenge what you have learned about the effects of the Industrial Revolution on economic systems?

In this activity, you will examine images from before and after the Industrial Revolution, which should give you a sense of how quickly change accelerated once the Industrial Revolution began. Seeing these changes through image analysis will help you evaluate industrialization using the AP themes of economics, environment, innovation, and social interactions and organization.

In this activity, you will look at images from before and after the Industrial Revolution, and then answer questions about how these pictures can help us see continuity and change in the industrial age.

Start by looking at the images from Denis Diderot’s Encyclopédie. Diderot’s Encyclopédie was published from 1751 to 1772, and is famous for representing the philosophy of the Enlightenment. Diderot’s goal was to create an encyclopedia of knowledge that included intellectual topics as well as everyday themes, such as the tools people used in their work. In addition, he wanted to influence the way people thought and some of the entries on politics and religion were revolutionary for the time. When you look at the Encyclopédie images, what do you notice and what do you think each picture represents? Now, look at the images from after the Industrial Revolution. Try to get a sense of what each one is about, and how they are different from Diderot’s Encyclopédie illustrations.

Now, look at the images side by side, comparing pre- and post-industrialization. After you’ve looked at the pictures, answer the following question:

When examining these images, what kinds of changes do you see happening rather quickly with regard to economic systems, humans and the environment, social interactions and organization, and technology and innovation?

Note that this is really four questions, since you need to respond in relation to each of the themes. Also, in answering the question, you should refer back to the illustrations and the specifics of the images that influenced your answers. Once you’re done, be prepared to discuss your responses as a class.

Do you think one theme was more impacted than another, or was the change similar across all four? While we usually think about the themes separately, they do overlap, and it’s hard for one to grow and change without the others being impacted. Your teacher will either have you discuss this last question as a class, or, create a chalkboard splash. To do that, you’ll answer the question in 15 words or less. When you are ready, write your response on the board. This is a good way to share your thinking and see what your classmates are thinking, too.