Final answer:
The textile industry was the industry that launched the Industrial Revolution, with key inventions like the spinning jenny and the power loom reducing labor and leading to the rise of mechanized factories.
Step-by-step explanation:
Which Industry Launched the Industrial Revolution?
The industry that launched the Industrial Revolution was the textile industry. Textiles were the leading sector that propelled the industrial advancements in the 18th century. In Britain, inventors such as John Kay, James Hargreaves, and Richard Arkwright designed vital innovations like the flying shuttle, spinning jenny, and water frame.
These inventions significantly reduced the amount of labor required to produce textiles and paved the way for the establishment of mechanized factories. Eventually, this boom in the textile industry expanded and facilitated advancements in transportation and communication, including the development of railroads and steam power.
Initially, factories were powered by water wheels, but with the introduction of James Watt's improved steam engine, steam became the dominant power source, fueling not just the textile mills but also benefiting the coal, iron, and steel industries. The rapid expansion and success of the textile industry provided a model for mass production that would be replicated in other sectors, leading to a broader economic transformation that characterizes the Industrial Revolution.