Impact of Industrialization CHY Lesson 70

Impact of Industrialization Learning Goal: Explain the economic, social, and political reforms brought on by the Industrial Revolution. Review Note and discussion

Why Britain? Water power and coal to fuel new machines Iron ore to build new machines Rivers/canals for inland transport Harbours for trade Enclosure movement forced people from farms Moved to cities and were perfect for factories Better food supply so healthier people  population growth

Great inventions McCormick’s Reaper (1831) improved wheat production Morse Code (1837) could be sent over a telegraph Singer sewing machine (1851) with a foot treadle Bell and his telephone (1876)

Growth of Cities Urban areas doubled in size (on average) No plans for improved sanitation, development, or safe building codes No drainage, disease spread; life expectancy dropped to 17 in some slums, compared to 34 in rural areas Class tensions Middle class/working class Who were the Luddites?

Positive Effects Jobs for workers Brought wealth to the nations in taxes Increased production of goods Encouraged innovation and invention Healthier diets Better housing (in the long run) Demand for better education Produced engineers, and other professionals

Immediate improvements for the middle class Eventually, labourers won higher wages, shorter hours, better conditions Labour unions formed

Long-term Working and living conditions Purchasing power Urban growth and renewal Higher standard of living

Manchester

“From this filthy sewer pure gold flows” Alexis de Tocqueville Horrible working conditions that produced great wealth for the mill owners Eventually, working class saw benefits Business owners took pride in their work and success Built great houses to show off their success

Children who built Victorian Britain

Reforms Laissez-faire  What does this mean? Let businesses set working conditions without any interference from gov’t Free market Let people do as they wish Defended by Adam Smith “The Wealth of Nations (1776) People work for their own good Competition forces people to produce better Supply and demand: lower prices if more is produced (will naturally happen)

Thomas Malthus (1798) argued that wars and epidemics were necessary to kill off extra people because otherwise population would always increase faster than the food supply David Ricardo (1817) felt that wages would continue to drop as population increased (more competition for jobs) They all thought creating minimum wages and better working conditions would upset the free market system and undermine the production of wealth

Rise of Socialism To contrast laissez-faire philosophy Some believed gov’ts should intervene Alexis de Tocqueville warned (1848): “Consider what is happening among the working classes…. Do you not see spreading among them, little by little, opinions and ideas that aim not to overturn such and such a ministry, or such laws, or such a government, but society itself, to shake it to the foundations upon which it now rests”

Jeremy Bentham and the philosophy of utilitarianism Judge ideas, etc on their usefulness to society Gov’ts should promote the greatest good for the greatest number of people John Stuart Mill began to question unregulated capitalism Wanted a more equal division of profits Favoured a co-op system of agriculture Supported women’s rights (including the vote) Pushed for prison reform, legal reform, and educational reform

Factory owner Robert Owen (Scotland) hated child labour Banned children younger than 10 from his mills Built homes with low rent for his workers Provided free schooling Set up similar communities in USA

Socialist ideas grew out of optimistic view of human nature A belief in progress and social justice Planned economy rather than free market Public ownership would help owners Rise of Marxism… remember Tommy’s seminar!