The Industrial Revolution began in Western Europe and was centered in Great Britain.This is because Great Britain was the world leader in the textile industry at the time. An increased world population in the mid-1700s pushed limits on resources. The Industrial Revolution was the human response to this dilemma. This new era was given another name: the "Anthropocene Age," - the "Age of Man." Great Britain had resources to fuel the dawn of industry, as well.The availability of coal and iron led to their leadership in the railroad and textile industries. There was also a rising middle class in Great Britain. No longer a land of aristocrats and peasants, 20% of the population was now comprised of middle and lower middle class people. 70% of the population were laborers. These people worked long hours in cities and the country in factories or farms. A political philosopher, Karl Marx, noted the difficult and sometimes miserable lives of the laboring class. In his book, "The Communist Manifesto," he encourages those in oppressed classes to engage in social protest. This era is also the age of new forms of government from capitalism to socialism and Marxism.