Includes bibliographical references and index.

Vol. 1. Almanac: Origins of the Industrial Revolution -- The revolution begins: steam engines, railroads, and steamboats -- New machines and the factory system -- Social and political impact of the first phase of the Industrial Revolution -- The second phase of the Industrial Revolution: 1850-1940 -- How things got bigger: economy of scale -- Social and political impact of the second phase of the Industrial Revolution -- The economy goes global: what next?

Vol. 2. Biographies: Henry Bessemer -- Andrew Carnegie -- Henry Ford -- Robert Fulton -- Samuel Gompers -- Jay Gould -- James J. Hill -- Mary Harris Jones (Mother Jones) -- Karl Marx -- Cyrus McCormick -- J. P. Morgan -- Samuel F. B. Morse -- The muckrakers: Jacob Riis, Upton Sinclair, Lincoln Steffens, Ida Tarbell -- Robert Owen -- John D. Rockefeller -- Theodore Roosevelt -- Adam Smith -- George Stephenson -- James Watt -- George Westinghouse and Nikola Tesla -- Eli Whitney.

Vol. 3. Primary sources: Ch. 1. Economic theory: Adam Smith -- Andrew Ure -- Karl Marx -- Andrew Carnegie -- Ch. 2. Technological advances and criticisms: Thomas Savery -- The workers and merchants of Leeds -- The Luddites and Charlotte Bronte-- Newspaper accounts regarding the telegraph -- J. D. B. Stillman -- Ch. 3. Working conditions: Michael Sadler -- Samuel Gompers -- Emile Zola -- Upton Sinclair -- Jane Addams -- William G. Shepherd -- Camella Teoli -- Ch. 4. Politics and law: Progressive party documents.

Covers the ideas and social turmoil that marked this transition as well as the machines, manufacturing processes and energy sources that spurred it on.

Description based on print version record.