Industrial Revolution DBQ Essay

Great changes were stirring in Europe around 1840—Queen Victoria had just taken the throne in England and the English Industrial Revolution was in full swing. Ever since the Middle Ages, as the centuries continued to pass, people were focusing less on religion and more on themselves. It may seem selfish, but in truth, it was necessary—the Industrial Revolution forced the majority of specialty tradesmen to retire from their respective professions. Goods were being mass-produced in factories and these goods were less expensive. The barter system, a way of trading goods and services between two parties, went out the window because nobody had anything to trade anymore. Thus, people worked at factories in order to take care of their own basic needs.