Sometimes the industrial age is put down or thought of as antiquated and binding.

I believe every age throughout history was needed and had its place – no sense despising it, thinking it worthless…we’re on to bigger and better now!

BUT! Without the industrial age there’d be many, many things (luxuries) (bad word nowadays) we’d be without…All these things we never really needed. We can all do without almost everything, so why waste time thinking up something new and helpful and convenient to make life easier? (haha)

Here are some examples of those worthless unneeded things that we like and love resulting from the hard, hard, hard work of many, many men and boys, with their women alongside them produced during the industrial revolution:

• Mining – grueling work to bring up iron ore, and coal, and minerals and water and oil
• Steel mills – to convert the iron ore into steel beams to build bridges and buildings
• Construction machinery – to build whatever we wanted to build
• Trains – to transport all these goods from one place to another
• Bridges – to span creeks, streams, treacherous waters so we could get to the other side
• Skyscrapers – beautiful city buildings for business and home
• Cars – to drive to town or grandmas or see the USA
• Airplanes – we can go anywhere!
• Textile mills – we don’t have to use the spinning wheel anymore or fabric loom
• Factories – many kinds to produce many things we take for granted
• Refineries – to produce oil and wax etc….something we cannot do in our backyard
• Sewing machines, dishwashers, refrigerators, freezers, garbage disposals, indoor plumbing, sinks, toilets, clawfoot tubs, lamps, fans, even the measly little light bulb!

Did we or did we not need the industrial revolution? Was it a good thing? Did it help us people nowadays?

All these things were thoughts and ideas of good men with the goal of making life less grueling so they could have more time with their families and rest and relax a bit…and many of us are resting and relaxing a bit – because of these men’s hard work.

I am thankful for the industrial revolution, the men who worked it and the results from their labors. My life is better because of it.