The Industrial Revolution involved the diffusion of several technological innovations in four main sectors:
- Power generation. Enabled the performance of additional work through the use of thermal energy, which became a substitute for human and animal labor. The first application concerned mining, allowing access to greater quantities of ore.
- Textiles. Development of the first mass-market consumer goods through substantial reductions in clothing costs. Sequential improvements were made in the spinning and weaving processes.
- Metallurgy. Low-cost metals used to manufacture equipment and infrastructure, including shipbuilding, rail systems, construction, and machinery.
- Transportation. Mass conveyances and telecommunication systems, with railroads offering the first extensive classification on inland transportation.