The Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution occurred from the 1700s to the early 1800s. The Industrial Revolution refers to the changes that occurred during the 1700s and 1800s and the time period. The Industrial Revolution was a period of drastic change from hand made items to machine manufactured goods. I believe the Industrial Revolution was a revolution in the "true" sense of the word. According to Webster's Dictionary (1984), a revolution is: "a sudden, radical, or complete change." I think the 1700s and early 1800s was a period of great change. In this period, there were many inventions that impacted people such as: the spinning jenny and water powered frame