历史小径·世界史英语30篇（4）
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The Industrial Revolution: Machines and Changing Lives
工业革命：机器与生活变迁
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Starting in late-18th-century Britain, new machines powered by steam replaced hand tools and animal labor.
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Factories rose near coal mines and rivers, drawing workers from rural villages into fast-growing cities.
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Textile production exploded — one spinning jenny could do the work of eight people using old wheels.
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Railroads and steamships cut travel time, moved goods cheaply, and connected markets across continents.
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Child labor was common at first, but rising public concern led to laws limiting working hours and ages.
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New inventions like telegraphs allowed instant long-distance communication for the first time in human history.
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Pollution, crowded housing, and dangerous conditions sparked labor unions and social reform movements.
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This shift did not happen overnight, but it permanently altered how people worked, lived, and imagined progress.