Chapter 17 - Revolutions of Industrialization

The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where the major changes focused in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transport, and technology. Overall it had a profound effect on the socioeconomic and cultural conditions starting in the United Kingdom, then slowly spread throughout Europe, North America, and eventually the world. It was also the major dramatic change in the world where humans learned how to dominate the natural environment and extract wealth from it and eventually influenced all in some way. Starting in the later part of the 18th century, there began a transition in parts of Great Britain's previously manual labor and machine-based manufacturing. It started with the mechanization of the textile industries, the development of iron making techniques and the increased use of refined coal. Trade expansion was enabled by the introduction of canals, improved roads and railways. During the Industrial Revolution era there was a girl named Ellen Johnson known as the "Factory Girl". Ellen was born in 1835 to a working class family in an industrializing Scotland. She worked in a variety of textile mills throughout her life, lived as a single mother, and became a published poet. Ellen's father, a stonemason, decided to emigrate to America. Her mother, however, refused to join him and remarried an abusive man who forced Ellen to start working in a factory. This caused Ellen to have the thought of running away from home multiple times. At the age of 16, Ellen successfully ran away to Airdire, where she made some friends and stayed for six weeks. There, Ellen earned the reputation of a "fallen woman". During that time she gave birth to her daughter, Mary Achenvole. She was not ashamed, but rather proud and found new hope in pursuing poetry as a way of making money. She also began to write poetry for the "penny press", inexpensive newspaper of the region. On another note, the "Factory Girl" came from a poor family and worked her way up to be someone important. She used her skill and interest and did what she enjoys the most. Ellen reminds me about the sisters at Notre Dame because it is a similar situation. Summing up Hallmark Seven talks about developing holistic learning communities which educate many. Ellen was once a factory girl and became a poet writer. She educate many people through her art of works by writing and telling stories about her childhood.