Industrial capitalism emerged as the dominant feature of the age. This age of business significantly changed social life.
Urbanization accelerated. This brought about the movement of people from rural areas to urban centers.
The division of society into two basic social classes, the bourgeoisie and the working class (proletariat), was further strengthened. To gain more profit, the capitalists employed women and children, who were extremely exploited. The bad working conditions, poor wages, and the fear of losing one's job forced workers to struggle for their rights. Hence, workers in different industrial countries were involved in different forms of struggle. Trade unions (workers' organizations) were established.
In England, a group of skilled workers known as the Luddites destroyed the machines they were working with in order to express their grievances. On the other hand, some English workers believed that their demands could be answered by presenting petitions to the English Parliament. To this end, they collected the signatures of their followers and presented their demands to Parliament. Thus, their movement came to be known as the Chartist Movement.
Another form of movement during this period was what is known as Scientific Socialism. One of the most famous founders of Scientific Socialism was Karl Marx (1818–1883). Marx's socialism is also known as Marxism or Communism. Karl Marx and his communist supporter and colleague, Friedrich Engels, wrote the Communist Manifesto in 1848. Marx concluded that the violent struggle between capitalists and workers would continue and that the final victory would belong to the workers.
Industry creates military power and financial strength. Thus, industrialized states have come to dominate the world. The colonization of more overseas territories during the second half of the nineteenth century was the outcome of the Industrial Revolution. The imperialism of the nineteenth century was interested in the acquisition of territories in less advanced areas of the world. Industrial Europe needed colonies to use them as sources of raw materials, markets for its manufactured goods, and places of settlement for its growing population. The acquisition of colonies was also considered prestigious. By 1914, seven European countries came to own 115 colonies that were three times more populous and thirty times larger in area than themselves.
The formation of nation-states in Europe facilitated industrial development. This was true of Germany and Italy. Nation-states are states composed of people having a common language, culture, historical tradition, etc.
The ideas of liberalism, democracy, and pluralism spread all over the industrialized world.
Liberalism, as explained by John Stuart Mill (1806–1873), was the belief in free speech, criticism, freedom of worship, and people's control over the state. Supporters of liberalism believed that people ought to enjoy freedom in an orderly society governed by law. They believed that people must be educated to accept rules of conduct and use the laws in society for a better human life.
The Industrial Revolution brought about drastic changes in the mode of production. However, equity in the distribution of national wealth did not exist. Many liberal intellectuals and workers' organizations demanded reforms. In response, Western governments enacted a series of laws to alleviate working conditions. England passed laws reducing working hours, prohibiting the employment of child labour, and introducing health, sanitation, and safety measures in factories.
