Social Impact of the Industrial Revolution Chapter 5 Section 3

Social Impact The I.R. brought wealth to the entrepreneurs who set it in motion. For the millions of workers who the I.R. brought poverty, harsh living conditions and unsafe work environments.

Social Impact Continued Over time, the standard of living improved and people at all levels of society benefited from industrialization. Another benefit was that over time wages increased. Changes in farming, soaring population growth and an increasing demand for workers led masses of people to migrate from farms to cities to work in the factories. (Urbanization)

Social Impact Continued The I.R. created a new middle class along with the working class. They owned and operated the new factories, mines and railroads and lived a comfortable lifestyle and had money. Middle class women did not work, but focused on raising their families.

Social Impact Continued In contrast, working class families lived in poverty, packed into tenements with no running water or sewage system. Waste and garbage was thrown into the streets and rivers and led to the spread of disease. Many working class families found comfort in religion and specifically in Methodism, which helped angry workers focus on reform not Revolution.

LIFE IN THE FACTORIES AND MINES Factory work was completely different than working on a farm. Workers faced a rigid schedule set by the factory whistle. Working hours were long (12-16 hrs day/six days a week.) Exhausted workers suffered accidents from machines without safety devices. Sick and injured workers lost their jobs. ( In textile factories/mills, workers breathed air filled with lint, which damaged their lungs.)

LIFE IN THE FACTORIES AND MINES Cont. The majority of factory workers were women, because they thought they could manage them easier and could pay them less. Labor unions were illegal during the I.R. but secret unions existed and their frustration often led to violence. Textile workers known as Luddites smashed machines & burned factories to protest.

LIFE IN THE FACTORIES AND MINES The I.R. increased demand for iron and coal and miners. Miners were paid more than factory workers but their working conditions were worse! They worked in the darkness and coal dust destroyed their lungs.

LIFE IN THE FACTORIES AND MINES Children had horrible and dangerous jobs. Child labor laws were passed in the early 1800’s but rarely enforced. In the 1830’s & 1840’s however, British inspectors enforced the labor laws.