1. Reactions to Industrial Life Workers Making Their Voices Heard
Mr. Barchetto
Notes #3

2. The Industrial Cities
The population continued to grow, & more factories needed more workers. This led to urbanization
Cities were over-crowded, loud, dirty, & polluted by the “cloud of coal vapor”
Poor workers lived in crowded apartments called tenements
Diseases spread rapidly
Thomas Malthus urged poor families to have fewer children
Over time, European families did tend to have fewer children

3. Overcrowded Cities
Pollution
Tenements

4. The Factories
Men, women, & children worked long hours in dangerous conditions in the factories.
Women & children were paid less than men for the same work.
Children who worked usually did not get a basic education.
Lawmakers were slow to help these poor people.

5. Why didn’t the government help?
Physiocrats like Adam Smith had said that laissez-faire was best for the economy.
This “hands off” approach meant that the government did not make any regulations for factories
Smith & Malthus both thought that a strong, capitalist economy would help the poor better than if the government helped them
Some people in society insisted that the government help the poor, but many opposed this idea

6. Socialists Call for Change
Socialists thought that laissez-faire capitalism was bad for society as a whole because only a small number grew richer and many people grew poorer.
They wanted all of the people to own and control farms, factories, railroads— the means of production. (MOP)
They thought that if everyone shared, then there would be no more fighting.
Robert Owen wanted to create a socialist utopia

7. The Birth of Communism Karl Marx & Friedrich Engles wrote
The Communist Manifesto in 1848.
Marx said that all of history is about struggle between the “haves” and the “have nots”
Haves: owned means of production=bourgeoisie
Have nots: working class=proletariat
Marx believed that eventually the proletariat would rise up and defeat the bourgeoisie.
The proletariat would take control of the m.o.p. and set up a society without classes.
In a classless society, there would be no more struggle

8. Labor Unions and Reform Laws
Factory Conditions lead to action:
By the 1800’s working people became more active in politics.
Unionization:
What is a Union? What is it’s purpose?
Unions: spoke for all workers in a particular trade
Purpose: to engage in negotiations between worker and their employers
Why are unions powerful? Do they still exist today?
Child Labor Primary Source
Reform Laws:
Use bottom of page 304 & top of 305 identify the
three acts which emerge in ’s.
Factory Act of 1833
Mines Act of 1842
The Ten Hours Act of 1847