Social Impact of the Industrial Revolution

Review What caused the Industrial Revolution? Why did it begin in Britain? What were the first factories? How did transportation change? How did the Industrial Revolution change the world?

Growth in Cities Extreme population growth due to decline in… Wars, diseases, death rates, famines People were eating better and therefore healthier, no famines except for the potato famine in Ireland (1840’s) Factories no longer need to be located near a water source for power – due to the steam engine Leads to the growth in cities Cities were unable to handle this growth Leads to terrible living conditions in cities Extreme population growth leads to large labor force Creates 2 new classes

Two New Classes Industrial Middle Class – the factory owners Built the factories, bought the machines, and figured out where the markets were for their goods Defining characteristic was GREED! Industrial Working Class – the factory workers Faced horrible and dangerous working conditions Included men, women, and children Very poor people!

Industrial Working Class Working Conditions… Work hours ranged from hours a day Six days a week No minimum wage Coal mines were very harsh and dangerous Cave-ins, explosions, breathing in gas fumes, 3-4 foot high tunnels that were damp  led to deformed bodies and ruined lungs Worst factory conditions in the cotton mills Harmful temperatures, dirty, dusty, dangerous, & unhealthy By 1830 – Women and children made up 2/3 of the cotton mills workforce

Needed Improvements Family roles – the family earns money for the family Just like working on a farm – everyone had their role and purpose 1833 – Factory Act of 1833 Set 9 as the minimum working age Children b/w 9 and 13 could only work 9 hours a day Children b/w 13 and 18 could work 12 hours a day This led to women making up 50% of the labor force in textile mills (cotton mills) They were paid half or less than half of what men were paid

New Family Roles Men Used to  work and support the family Now  work outside the home and bring home most of the family income Women Before  take care of the home and children Now  took over daily care of the family and performed low-paying jobs to bring in money Usually jobs that could be done in the home (laundry, etc.) Children Before  work the land, learn roles for adulthood Go to work, bring in money for the family

Early Socialism Socialism – govt. owns and controls some means of a country’s production such as factories Socialism was the idea of intellectuals who b/l in the equality of all They wanted to replace competition with cooperation They b/l humans would show their natural goodness if they lived in a cooperative environment, instead of a competitive one Later socialists will label early socialist ideas as impractical dreams Called early socialists – utopian socialists

Who Supports Socialism? Socialism was popular among the lower and working classes because… Income is more fairly distributed Cut down on competition between factory owners It eased harsh working conditions in the factories