19.4 Living and Working Conditions By: Meara H, Sylvie B, Maya K M

SWBAT: Describe how different living and working conditions of the IR gave rise to the reform movement. Workers were paid relatively low wages although they needed wages high enough to support their families. They wanted some control over their work hours, the conditions in the factories as well as their towns. :) s

Vocab Free enterprise: Economic system where every person is free to go into any business and operate it to their advantage. Laissez-faire: Literally meaning “Leave things Alone,” applied to a situation where government does not interfere with the operations of business. Utilitarianism: Jeremy Bentham's idea that every act of society should be judged in terms of its utility. Strike: Protest where an entire group of workers refuse to work. Union: Association of workers whose role is to protect the rights and interests of members. Collective Bargaining: Process of negotiation between union and management over wages , hours, and working conditions. m

Social Reformers m

Thomas Malthus David Ricardo Anglican Clergyman, became Professor of Economics. In his book An Essay on the Principle of Population, published 1798, he wrote that population increases present the greatest obstacle to human progress. Believed that human misery and poverty are inevitable. Supported Smith’s ideas. English businessman, who gained a large fortune in his early life. Was elected to The House of Commons. Principles of Political Economy and Taxation-supply and demand determine wages. When labor is scarce, wages soar. As more and more workers become available, wages drop. Became known as the iron law of wages. m

Adam Smith Wrote The Wealth of Nations in 1776. Two natural laws: The law of supply and demand and the law of Competition. If the product is scarce and in great demand, people will pay more for it, which will lead to the makers of the product to produce more of it and will soon exceed the demand for it. Each manufacturer will face competition, and the manufacturer will have to reduce the price to get people to buy a product. mk

Charles Dickens Wrote Dombey and Son and Hard times to attack selfish business leaders, along with David Copperfield where he described his own wretched childhood experiences as a worker in a warehouse. Made public aware of the terrible conditions in mines and factories. S

John Stuart Mill Believed a government should work for the well being of all its citizens. Advocated for a full democracy and complete equality between men and woman. In his view individual liberty, which included the liberty to think as one pleased and express one's views, was a basic human right. mk

Jeremy Bentham Wrote An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation in 1789. Created theory Utilitarianism: The belief that the principle of equality or usefulness was the standard by which to measure a society and its laws. Believed people needed education to better determine what things were good for them and made them happy. :) Advocated for reform of the prison system, education, and legal reform. S

Improve the Situation Workers tried to improve their working conditions by unionizing and getting into groups to collect dues and pay workers while they were on strike. They would also go on strike and make laws so woman and kids under 10 couldn’t work in mines. They used collective bargaining. mk