Preindustrial

Preindustrial refers to the state of a society or economy before widespread mechanization, centralized factories, and mass production powered by fossil fuels. In preindustrial systems, energy typically came from human labor, animal power, wind, water, and wood or charcoal, with limited use of simple machines. Most production occurred at small scale, often within households or artisanal workshops, and craft specialization existed but on a more limited, localized basis. Agriculture generally formed the economic core, producing food for local use and modest surpluses for exchange.

Settlement patterns were predominantly rural, with urban centers existing but smaller and less numerous than in industrialized societies. Trade networks extended regionally and internationally, yet information and communication moved comparatively slowly. Literacy rates, education, and technical knowledge varied by region, and economic development depended on land productivity, climate, and local institutions. Social structures often included landholding arrangements, peasant labor, guilds, and kinship networks that shaped production and distribution.

Proto-industrialization describes a transitional phase in which rural households engaged in manufacturing for distant markets, combining cottage production with increasingly mechanized processes. The move to industrialization involved attention to new energy sources, such as coal, and the emergence of factories, standardized production, and large-scale transportation networks like canals and railways. These changes brought urbanization, altered labor relations, environmental shifts, and profound social and economic transformation that defined the onset of the industrial era.