Changing Life in the Industrial Age

Cities Urbanization (movement of people to cities) Caused by: changes in farming, population growth, and demand for workers Cities were built around factories The wealthy and middle class lived in pleasant neighborhoods far from the factories Large numbers of poor struggled to survive by living in tenements Multi-story buildings divided into crowded apartments No running water, no sewage system… Diseases spread rapidly

Factories In factories, workers faced rigid schedules set by the factory. Working hours were very long Shifts lasted from 12-16 hours There were no safety devices in the machines People might lose a finger, a limb, or their lives Other dangers in the factories Coal dust destroyed the lungs of miners Those working with textiles breathed air filled with lint If workers were sick or injured, they lost their jobs

Women Workers Employers often preferred to hire women workers than men Thought women could adapt more easily to the machines and they were easier to manage Also able to pay women less for the same work of a man Family life was very difficult for women who worked in factories Worked long hours and then had to come home to take care of their household

Child Workers Factories and mines also hired young boys and girls Able to work easily with the machines Could climb down mine-shafts and push coal carts Children worked on the farms, so during the Industrial Revolution it was acceptable for children to work in factories Employers often hired orphans In the 1830s and 1840s, British lawmakers looked into abuses in factories and mines and discovered children as young as 5 working in factories, some died, some lost limbs, most were uneducated

The New Middle Class The middle class benefitted the most from the Industrial Revolution Some were merchants, some were skilled artisans, some managed factories Lived in well-furnished homes away from the pollution of the factories Heightened standard of living Sons and some daughters were educated Valued hard work and determination