From improved transportation systems powered by steam and fossil fuels to faster communication across the ocean to centralized banking in the major metropolises, the Industrial Revolution synthesized and simplified many seemingly disparate areas of life. While many in the upper classes saw their standard of living improve, many of the poor and working classes were thrown into the dingy squalor of overcrowded, unsafe factories and forced to work long overtime by whip-cracking bosses. To find out about what shaped modern-day history and what we have to thank for the automobile, condominiums, and even smartphones, check out this list of 25 Facts About the Industrial Revolution.