Teollisuusajan

Teollisuusajan, or the Industrial Age, refers to the period when economies shifted from agrarian and craft-based production to industrialized, factory-based systems. It is characterized by mechanization, steam power, and later electricity and chemical processes, the rise of the factory system, and the expansion of railways and other transport networks. The onset is typically dated to the late 18th century in Britain and to the 19th century in much of continental Europe and North America. The period brought rapid productivity growth, urbanisation, and profound social changes, along with new environmental and public-health challenges. In the long view, the era extends into the early 20th century, when further advances in steel, chemicals and electrification supported broader economic and social transformation.

Finland entered teollisuusajan mainly in the late 19th century and early 20th century, during periods of autonomy within the Russian Empire. Railways and improved transport facilitated the growth of forest-based industries, especially pulp and paper, and a developing metal industry. Urban centres such as Tampere, Helsinki, Turku and others expanded as industrial towns, while rural areas experienced demographic shifts. The teollisuusajan brought changes in work organisation, education and living standards, but also difficult working conditions and social tensions that contributed to labour movements and political reforms in the early 20th century. The era left lasting impacts on Finnish society, including urbanization, the modernization of agriculture and transportation, and the emergence of a more diversified economy.