Reactions to Industrial Life Workers Making Their Voices Heard Mr. Barchetto Notes #3

The Industrial Cities The population continued to grow, & more factories needed more workers. This led to urbanization Cities were over-crowded, loud, dirty, & polluted by the “cloud of coal vapor” Poor workers lived in crowded apartments called tenements Diseases spread rapidly Thomas Malthus urged poor families to have fewer children Over time, European families did tend to have fewer children

Overcrowded Cities Pollution Tenements

The Factories Men, women, & children worked long hours in dangerous conditions in the factories. Women & children were paid less than men for the same work. Children who worked usually did not get a basic education. Lawmakers were slow to help these poor people.

Why didn’t the government help? Physiocrats like Adam Smith had said that laissez-faire was best for the economy. This “hands off” approach meant that the government did not make any regulations for factories Smith & Malthus both thought that a strong, capitalist economy would help the poor better than if the government helped them Some people in society insisted that the government help the poor, but many opposed this idea

Socialists Call for Change Socialists thought that laissez-faire capitalism was bad for society as a whole because only a small number grew richer and many people grew poorer. They wanted all of the people to own and control farms, factories, railroads— the means of production. (MOP) They thought that if everyone shared, then there would be no more fighting. Robert Owen wanted to create a socialist utopia

The Birth of Communism Karl Marx & Friedrich Engles wrote The Communist Manifesto in 1848. Marx said that all of history is about struggle between the “haves” and the “have nots” Haves: owned means of production=bourgeoisie Have nots: working class=proletariat Marx believed that eventually the proletariat would rise up and defeat the bourgeoisie. The proletariat would take control of the m.o.p. and set up a society without classes. In a classless society, there would be no more struggle

Labor Unions and Reform Laws Factory Conditions lead to action: By the 1800’s working people became more active in politics. Unionization: What is a Union? What is it’s purpose? Unions: spoke for all workers in a particular trade Purpose: to engage in negotiations between worker and their employers Why are unions powerful? Do they still exist today? Child Labor Primary Source Reform Laws: Use bottom of page 304 & top of 305 identify the three acts which emerge in 1830-40’s. Factory Act of 1833 Mines Act of 1842 The Ten Hours Act of 1847