Before the Industrial Revolution, most items people needed were made by hand. Things like clothes, dishes or furniture, were handcrafted one by one. This took a lot of time and skill. Most craftsmen worked out of their homes. Many lived in the countryside. Towards the end of the 18th century all of this began to change. Machines took the place of skilled labor done by craftsmen. Factories were created to bring together machines and the workers needed to operate them.
