How did mechanization, as described in the stimulus, transform production in Europe?

The process of mechanization deeply altered the landscape of production by replacing hand labor with machine power. In factories, the rhythm of work shifted from the pace of the human body to the mechanical cadence of the newly introduced machines. These changes disrupted traditional craft practices and redefined the value of skilled labor. Workers found themselves organized into large, anonymous groups rather than in small artisanal productions. The transformation was both celebrated for boosting productivity and critiqued for dehumanizing the labor process. Thompson’s perspective illustrates that mechanization was a double-edged sword, offering both economic progress and significant social challenges.

• E.P. Thompson, The Making of the English Working Class, 1963