Intro -- The Industrial Revolution -- Key information -- Introduction -- Context -- Britain and the start of the industrial era -- Key protagonists -- John Kay and the flying shuttle -- James Watt and the steam engine -- Karl Benz and the internal-combustion engine -- Thomas Edison and the incandescent bulb -- The Industrial Revolution -- The First Industrial Revolution (1750-1850) -- The Second Industrial Revolution (1870-1914) -- Impact -- The economy becomes global -- The development of the armaments industry -- Major demographic changes -- Reorganisation of the social order -- The Third Industrial Revolution -- Summary -- Find out more.