Final answer:
Replacing human labor with tools and machines to increase efficiency is known as mechanization, a hallmark of the Industrial Revolution. Mechanization led to increased productivity and efficiency in manufacturing, with profound impacts on the labor market and work conditions.
Step-by-step explanation:
Replacing human labor with tools and machines to increase production and efficiency is known as mechanization. This trend was particularly evident during the Industrial Revolution, which began in the late 1700s in Western European nations. The process of mechanization led to a seismic shift in the way societies operated, transforming them from agrarian economies to ones dominated by machine-led manufacturing of goods.
Technological innovations during this period included the introduction of the steam engine, which revolutionized not just manufacturing, but also mining and transportation. The development of mechanized tools like Jethro Tull's seed drill, Eli Whitney's cotton gin, and improvements in textile production such as the spinning jenny and the power loom, drastically increased production capacities. These advancements made it possible for factories to mass-produce goods and consequently, required a different approach to labor, introducing concepts like the clock-regulated workday and shop-floor discipline.
However, the transition to mechanization and automated workplaces also had profound impacts on the labor market. Many jobs that involved repetitive tasks became susceptible to automation, leading to sweeping changes in the type of work available and the skills required. Assembly lines represented this new era of manufacturing, making production more efficient but at the same time, rendering factory work unskilled and monotonous.