The Industrial Revolution was a period of rapid economic and social change in Europe and North America, beginning in the late 18th century and lasting until the mid-19th century. It was characterized by the transition from manual labor to mechanized production, the development of new energy sources such as coal and steam power, and the growth of factories and large-scale industrial production. It also saw the development of new transportation systems, such as the railroad, and the emergence of new technologies, such as the telegraph and telephone.
