Industrial Revolution Effects on society

Review: Small Family Farms to Industrial Cities Why England?

Reflect on each of the following images Reflect on each of the following images. What does each tell us about the Industrial Revolution? What side of the revolution is not shown in the group as a whole?

Industrialization not always positive In the long run, industrialization was positive. Lots of bumps along the way Human suffering: Unhealthy working conditions Air and water pollution Child labor Class tensions

Industrialization takes off quickly By the 1800s people in Britain could earn more money in a factory than on a farm Movement of goods on a larger scale: People could afford to heat their homes with coal from Wales, eat beef from Scotland and buy woven clothes from English factories

Cities Across Europe after 1800, more people lived in cities than in the country 1800 – 1850: number of cities in Europe with more than 100,000 people went from 22 to 47 Most European cities doubled in population, some even quadrupled Urbanization: city development and movement of people to cities

Urbanization in Britain Many areas with groups of factories became industrial centers Southern Wales Central Scotland Largest industrial centers were built in southern and central England London becomes the biggest city in Europe (twice as big as Paris)

Life in the cities In a word: depressing No sanitation codes, no city planning Streets had no drains, no garbage collection Entire families often lived in one bedroom Disease widespread Life expectancy: one study showed 17 years of age for working class people in a city, 38 years in nearby rural area

Working conditions Factory owners wanted to keep machines running as much as possible Average work day: 14 hours, 6 days per week Work never changed, like it did on farms depending on the season Dangerous!

How dangerous was it? It was so dangerous that… People lost limbs to machines No government welfare program to aid injured workers Coal mine work caused people to live 10 years less than in other jobs Accidents, coal dust, dampness Women and children worked in mines because they were smaller and the cheapest source of labor

Class tensions Industrial Revolution made some people very rich, while workers remained VERY poor Factory owners, shippers, merchants all made big money The middle class of Britain Skilled workers, professionals, businesspeople and wealthy farmers

Middle class Upper middle class: government employees, doctors, lawyers, factory managers Lower middle class: factory supervisors, skilled workers Both classes enjoyed a comfortable standard of living compared to average workers and miners

Working class Laborers, workers, miners saw little improvement in their lives Many saw jobs disappear as factories took over Automated some of their work Open rebellion in some parts of England against machines and factories Luddites – named after Ned Ludd (a myth) who supposedly destroyed machinery Today if you hate technology, you are called a Luddite

Positive effects of industrialization Initially created jobs for workers Added to the wealth of the nation Allowed technological progress and innovation Increased production of goods Raised standard of living Provided hope of improvement for people

More positives Educational opportunities More business = more taxes for government to collect More taxes = more investment in the nation Eventually working class saw improvements as well But not until reforms enacted