The industrial revolution began in Europe in the 18th century. The revolution brought about significant changes, such as technological improvements in global trade, which led to a sustained increase in development between the 18th and 19th centuries. These improvements included mastering the art of harnessing energy from abundant carbon-based natural resources such as coal. The revolution was economically motivated and gave rise to innovations in manufacturing that permanently transformed human life. This changed perceptions of productivity and understanding of mass production, which enabled specialization and allowed industries to achieve economies of scale. The steel industry in particular became a major source of economic growth for the United States during this period, providing much-needed jobs, which allowed an abundant population of whites as well as minorities to contribute to and benefit from a thriving economy. Steel production boomed in the United States in the mid-1900s. The United States became a global economic giant due to the size of its steel industry, taking advantage of earlier innovations such as the steam engine and railway locomotives. By the end of World War II, the United States was responsible for 65% of global steel production (Reutter 1). In Sparrows Point: Making Steel: the Rise and Ruin of American Industrial Might, Mark Reutter reports that "four out of five manufactured items contained steel and 40 percent of all wage earners owed their livelihood directly or indirectly to steel." industry ". This steel industry was the main employer of this era. After World War II, the Industrial Revolution began to decline and the economy shifted from manufacturing to services. Deindustrialization...... middle of paper...... lization is not a black and white problem, nor is it a Baltimore problem, it is currently an American problem that can be attributed in part to segregation. Works Cited Reutter, Mark. Sparrows Point: Making Steel: The Rise and Fall of American Industrial Power. New York: Summit Books, 1988. Print. Nandi, Arijit. Deindustrialization, socioeconomic deprivation, and abandonment of injection drug use in Baltimore. 2008. Print. Cowie, Jefferson and Joseph Heathcott. Beyond the ruins: the meanings of deindustrialization. Ithaca: ILR Press, 2003. Print. Executive Intelligence Review Economics Staff. “Deindustrialization creates “death zones”. » Executive Intelligence Review. January 6, 2006: 4-26. Print. Olson, Karen. Wives of Steel: Voices of Women from the Steelmaking Communities of Sparrows Point. University Park: Pennsylvania State University Press, 2005. Print.