1. Impact of Industrialization
CHY
Lesson 70

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

3. 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

4. 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)

5. 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?

6. 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

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

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

9. Manchester

10. “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

11. Children who built Victorian Britain

12. 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)

13. 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

14. 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”

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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!