What was novel was company towns, cartels (Trusts) turning numerous industries into monopolies, etc. A lot of it really does curl one's toes (I'm just reading a Forbes collection of history articles.)

Yes peasant revolts happened before this. There was an old cruel aristocracy, and then a new, industrial aristocracy which was inexperienced, fumbling and cruel. Industrialization wasn't the first harsh transition in human history, but who argued it was?