Episodes

  • Chapter 70 - The Progressive Era

    Chapter 70 - The Progressive Era
    7 Sep 2026
    In the wake of the Panic of 1893, people across the world cried out for reform. They were tired of the corruption and inequalities that defined the Gilded Age. Over the next 20 years, major changes were seen across Europe and the Americas: expansions of democracy and technocracy alike; new business regulations; the emergence of the social welfare state; and more. “Progress” was the buzzword of the age, and it set the tone for an extraordinary new century.
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    1 hr and 52 min
  • Chapter 69: The New Imperialism

    Chapter 69: The New Imperialism
    2 Dec 2024
    In the late 19th Century, the nature of imperialism was evolving. Driven by Realist geopolitics, capitalist forces, and racist assumptions, Westerners scrambled for power over the rest of the world. In this chapter, we will explore the impact of this transformation in China, Africa, and the empire of the United States.
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    1 hr and 43 min
  • History Daily: The Great Civil War Locomotive Chase

    History Daily: The Great Civil War Locomotive Chase
    30 Sep 2024
    A guest episode from the podcast History Daily! As we discussed back in Chapter 52, the new railroads played a major role during the U.S. Civil War. About a year into that war, a band of Union spies stole a train to sabotage the Western & Atlantic Railroad, a vital supply line at the heart of the Confederacy.

    Please be sure to check out History Daily. Every weekday, host Lindsay Graham (American Scandal, American History Tellers) takes you back in time to explore a momentous event that happened ‘on this day’ in history. It covers a broad mix of history, including medicine, science, technology, religion, politics, sports, and more. And it’s a more bite-size podcast than the Industrial Revolutions – each episode is about 20 minutes – making it suitable for your daily commute.

    https://www.historydaily.com/
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    19 min
  • Chapter 68: Industrialization Spreads East

    Chapter 68: Industrialization Spreads East
    3 Jun 2024
    In the mid-19th Century, two eastern empires were humiliated by industrialized powers. To avoid further humiliation, they both decided to industrialize themselves. In the late 19th Century, Russia and Japan went through rapid modernization. But which of the two succeeded would shock everyone, come 1905.

    In this episode, we will cover:
    • The emancipation of the serfs in Russia
    • The Witte System
    • Japanese proto-industrialization
    • The Meiji Restoration
    • And the Russo-Japanese War


    Be sure to check out the Warlords of History Podcast as well!
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    1 hr and 24 min
  • Chapter 67 - The Iron Chancellor & Rise of Germany

    Chapter 67 - The Iron Chancellor & Rise of Germany
    4 Mar 2024
    The Second Industrial Revolution more or less coincided with the lifespan of the German Empire. From 1871 to 1914, the new nation adopted a fairly democratic constitution, saw massive population growth, and experienced extraordinary economic development. Along the way, they created innovative new goods and services, as well as worker protections unseen anywhere else in the world.

    It was largely thanks to the leadership of the Iron Chancellor, Otto von Bismarck. But after his fall from high politics, the empire redirected its gains toward militarization. And by 1918, that program would prove to be the empire’s doom.

    Support the podcast and get access to the footnotes and all bonus episodes at patreon.com/indrevpod.
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    1 hr and 5 min
  • Chapter 66: The Revolt of Labor

    Chapter 66: The Revolt of Labor
    4 Dec 2023
    At the end of the 19th Century, workers throughout the world were fighting increasingly bitter, bloody battles against their capitalist bosses and the governments protecting them. In this episode, we will cover such topics as:
    • Worker internationalism
    • Paris Commune
    • The Great Upheaval of 1877
    • The Haymarket Massacre
    • The Homestead and Pullman strikes
    • The Belgian General Strike of 1893
    • And more!
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    1 hr and 28 min
  • Chapter 65: Economic Ideas (The Many Schools of Socialism)

    Chapter 65: Economic Ideas (The Many Schools of Socialism)
    4 Sep 2023
    During the late 19th Century, socialism fractured into numerous schools. In this episode, we explore the growing field of socialist thought, as well as its many colorful characters.

    Topics in this episode include:
    • Edward Bellamy and his novel, Looking Backward
    • French Solidarism
    • Ferdinand Lassalle, Eduard Bernstein, and the German Social Democrats
    • The Fabian Society
    • Henry George and his treatise, Poverty and Progress
    • Mikhail Bakunin and anarcho-collectivism
    • Pyotr Kropotkin and anarcho-communism
    • The Pittsburg Proclamation and anarcho-syndicalism


    Watch my 2022 Mill Talk here!
    https://industrialrevolutionspod.com/episodes/2022/12/4/podcast-special-from-textile-workers-to-rideshare-drivers-the-never-ending-history-of-creative-destruction

    Support the podcast: https://industrialrevolutionspod.com/supporters
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    1 hr and 27 min
  • Chapter 64: Economic Ideas (The Neoclassics)

    Chapter 64: Economic Ideas (The Neoclassics)
    3 Jul 2023
    Beginning in the 1870s, the Neoclassical School of Economics emerged. Borrowing the idea of marginal analysis from calculus, and applying it to the ethical theory of Utilitarianism, they revolutionized the way economics was discussed. Today, we discuss the various “Marginalists” of this school, and the impact they had on the history of economic thought.
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    58 min