Normally revolution happens in a short period of time but the Industrial Revolution extended over many generations and the changes were plodding. What actually happened could be stated as evolution however; if we look into the dramatic impact of the industrial drifts on the lives of the Americans, English and the Continent it was nothing less than a revolution.
It all started from England and the Americans caught on, later spreading the revolution to other nations of Europe. There were machinists, tinkerers and inventors who created new things and eased down the work for mankind.