In this post, we’ll explore the three major societal revolutions that have occurred throughout history and unpack how each revolution influenced social structures, political structures and economic structures and more.
The Three Major Economic Revolutions
Over the course of human history, there have been three major economic revolutions. They are; The Agricultural Revolution, The Industrial Revolution and The Information Revolution.
Each revolution revolved around harnessing new sources of energy and profoundly shaped the social, political and economic landscapes. Below we’ll explore each revolution in detail.
The Agricultural Revolution
In the Agricultural Revolution, humans harnessed bio energy by domesticating plants, animals, sunlight and seasonal rhythms to cultivate crops and raise livestock.
The Agricultural Revolution shifted the social landscape from nomadic hunter-gatherer tribes to settled communities.
The Agricultural Revolution shifted the political landscape from nomadic tribal leaders to chieftains.
Finally, the Agricultural Revolution shifted the economic landscape from subsistence-based hunting and gathering to agrarian-based economies and wealth shifted from hunter-gatherers to landowners.
It took millennia for the Agricultural Revolution to take effect.
The Industrial Revolution
In the Industrial Revolution, humans harnessed chemical energy by using coal, steam and oil to power machines, factories and transportation systems.
The Industrial Revolution shifted the social landscape from settled communities to urban societies.
The Industrial Revolution shifted the political landscape from chieftains to centralised nation states.
Finally, the Industrial Revolution shifted the economic landscape from agrarian-based economies to manufacturing-based economies and wealth shifted from landowners to factory owners.
It took centuries for the Industrial Revolution to take effect.
The Information Revolution
In the Information Revolution, humans are harnessing digital energy by using electricity to process, store and transmit vast amounts of information.
In the Information Revolution, the social landscape is shifting from urban societies to global digital networks.
The Information Revolution is shifting political power from centralised nation states to decentralised digital networks.
The Information Revolution is shifting economic power from manufacturing-based economies to technology-based economies and wealth shifted from factory owners to network owners.
It took decades for the Information Revolution to take effect.
3 Major Societal Revolutions Tables Summary
| Landscape | Agricultural Revolution | Industrial Revolution | Information Evolution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social | Settled Communities | Urban Societies | Global Networks |
| Political | Chieftains | Centralised Nations | Decentralised Networks |
| Economic | Agrarian-Based | Manufacturing-Based | Technology-Based |
Summary
The three major economic revolutions that have occurred throughout history are The Agricultural Revolution, The Industrial Revolution and The Information Revolution.
Each of these three revolutions leveraged different forms of energy and transformed the trajectory of social, economic and political landscapes.
