the phrase used to describe Britain’s progress in the 18th and 19th century from being largely an agricultural country to being an industrial one. Britain was the first country to change in this way. During this time, many important machines were invented. These were mostly made possible by the discovery of steam power and the invention of the steam engine, which allowed one worker to do what before had required many workers. As a result, big factories were built which could produce a wide variety of goods in large quantities. New methods of transport, in particular canals and railways, were developed for transporting these goods from place to place. During the Industrial Revolution, the populations of cities grew rapidly as people moved from the countryside to work in factories. The same kind of development soon began in other countries in Europe and in the US.
See also Ironbridge .