Primary Sources and Social Change of the Industrial Revolution
The impact of the Industrial Revolution on the standard of living of
working class people is, and has been frequently debated. There is a
mass of primary and secondary sources of evidence from the time of the
Industrial Revolution available to support differing views of the
debate, and there are also many novels available that were written at
the time which criticise industrial society, but the difficulty of
assessing the total impact of industrialisation upon a population, is
how to measure the changes in standard of living. We can look at
changes in wages, the changing cost of food, rent and clothing, the
impact of the factory systems, or the demographic changes to the
society, but it is extremely difficult to weigh up one change against
another. If we look at wage data to assess the standard of living, the
problem is that payment in kind is not recorded. Agricultural workers
for example, would be compensated for their low wages with farm
produce, free fuel or subsidised rents, and wages only reflect the
living standards of the employed. A wider variety of sources need to
be employed in looking at the standard of living debate, for example
whilst working class in urban districts seem to have enjoyed higher
wages, they also suffered higher rates of disease and mortality.
The roles of women and children drastically changed from working in
cottage industries and agriculture to being employed in the factory
system. This problem was also added to by the age structure of the
population with high birth rates, Peter Mathias, a secondary source
writes, "The conclusion (when loo...
... middle of paper ...
...living debate and the
extensive resources that are available when looking at such a complex
debate.
Bibliography
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In Britain, industrialization changed the lives of workers in many ways. One way workers lives changed is being able to earn higher wages. They could make more money in factories than on farms. Wi...
The Industrial Revolution has been viewed as the most effective events in the history of our economic world. The Industrial Revolution was a great era for the world. It represented major change from 1760 to the years of 1820-1840. The revolution was born in Great Britain and affected everything from industrial manufacturing processes to the life of the public. The public did suffer harsh trials through the Industrial Revolution
Introduction The industrial revolution took place between 1750 and 1850 all round the world. In this essay it describes the changes made in Middlesbrough in this period and how the managed to cope with the surge of people coming into Middlesbrough. Everything changed in Middlesbrough in the Industrial Revolution like mining, transport, agriculture and even technology. Population grew at great rate as there was plenty of work and cheap labour was readily available.
A major cause for the Industrial Revolution was the enormous spurt of population growth in England. The increase in population meant that there were more people in surplus from agricultural jobs, and they had to find work in industrial factories. Enclosure brought forth a great increase in farming production and profits. Farming was improved through the use of crop rotation, enclosures, and the division on farms across England. Crops that were grown consisted of turnips, barley, clover, wheat. This improvement in farming caused a population explosion, which soon led to a higher demand for goods. The new means of production demanded new kinds of skills, new regulation in work, and a large labor force. The goods produced met immediate consumer demand and also created new demands. In the long run, industrialization raised the standard of living and overcame the poverty that most Europeans, who lived d...
The Industrial Revolution in Britain’s history is marked as the period of great development that led to the modern era of growth, improved living standards and technology. Moreover, this revolution was not just limited to Britain; it affected the rest of Europe and America in the same positive manner. Due to the Industrial Revolution’s success in many countries, it is now commonly cited as the surest way for a country to develop. In economics, goals of a developed country are high production of goods, high Gross Domestic Product (GDP), low unemployment and sustained growth; during an Industrial Revolution all these are achieved. However, despite the main goal of IR to improve living standards for the population, the actual success when weighed against the social cost is debatable. It is accepted that IR improved the living standards of many; it created a new class, which Marx called the “bourgeoisie”, who had control over wealth, decisions and helped improve the lives of many others. However, many historians view this new class as “rapacious landlords and conscienceless capitalist[s]” [9] who exploited the working class for their own benefit. For a majority of “the working class… ‘Industrial Revolution’ … must have appeared… as a gigantic and cruel experiment, which, insofar as it was affecting their house, their health, their subsistence and their pleasure, was proving a calamitous failure” [9]. Therefore, this group will be examined to determine more general effects of IR on the society.
The increasing amount of people left destitute and helpless regarding the hasty fundamental changes of the Industrial Revolution; which occurred economically, socially, and on the conditions of the workplace, affected the living standards of all, but did not occur obscure. Reform actions begun to take place; for even industrialists like Robert Owen were sincerely concerned of the direction industrialization was headed in. Endorsing with legislation, politicians together were able to ultimately relieve the working classes predicament, as well as regulating laws for child labor. Regardless of this, the expense of suffering paid by the previous working generations for this advancement in addition to our present contented standards of living was undeniably an awful one.
Going to work for a full day isn’t much fun after working fifteen hours the day before! 60-70 hour work days are never pleasant in anybody’s mind. How is it that so many people did this during the Industrial Revolution? Was it because they wanted the extra money? Or was it because they wanted the high political or economic status? For some people these were the reasons, but for most it was because of one concern. Survival! The Industrial Revolution greatly changed the workplace and the proletarians.
No development in modern history has altered European society more than the Industrial Revolution. The onset of this revolution not only dramatically increased the efficiency of production, but it altered European’s wealth and urban populations while creating numerous jobs. A new, complex social system resulted that created composed of two different phases. At the onset of the revolution, a wealthy middle class overpowered a large urban working class that comprised of men, women, and children. However, as the revolution furthered, the once united working class was further divided between skilled and unskilled workers. Also, the spheres of men and women no longer intertwined and females were to remain at home and tend to family matters. The Industrial Revolution ultimately changed the social hierarchy of European workers remarkably.
happening in the world, with more and more people just accepting the new social classes and not protesting their unfairness. This source not only helps us understand the living conditions of the time but also the change in society that occurred during the Industrial
The Industrial Revolution was a time of great change and increased efficiency. No more would be goods be produced by sole means of farming and agriculture, but now by the use of machinery and factories. Technology was beginning to increase along with the food supply as well as the population. However, this increase in population would greatly impact the social aspect of that time. Urbanization was becoming much more widespread. Cities were becoming overwhelmingly crowded and there was an increase in disease as well as harsh child labor. Although child labor would be reduced somewhat due to unions, the Industrial Revolution still contained both it’s positive and negative results.
This book is a great source for the study of humans and nature during the period of the Industrial Revolution. In this book the social impact of the Industrial Revolution is approached through an analysis of the labour force in 1851 and then leads into an assessment of family life and living standards during this controversial period.
In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries the Industrial Revolution in Europe had a significant influence on society. There were many changes in social classes and equality. The rise of the middle class had a momentous effect on the population of Europe and was a catalyst for many changes in the social makeup of the region. The influence of technology and electricity changed many aspects of social interaction and created a new class system. The migration of workers and the separation of the classes had political and social repercussions throughout Europe. Labor unions and political parties provided protection and a voice to many of the working class, and urbanization provided the stage for reformers to push for modernized cities. Women in this era also had distinct differences in their treatment and standing regardless of their social class. Two of the key social concerns of this new industrial era in Europe mainly revolved around the emerging social classes and the equality of women.
The aims of this paper are to evaluate the effects the Industrial Revolution had on the wider world. This essay will be assessing the impact of technology and innovation on employment of the era, and how the factory system gave rise to socialism. In addition, it will be evaluating how the Industrial Revolution was the precursor to the phenomenon of consumerism and the resulting globalization.
The Industrial Revolution, which took place between the 18th and 19th centuries, was a shifting period from primarily agrarian society to industrial society. During this time, many changes took place. Industrialization changed various different industries including technology, transportation, and immigration. Products could now be mass produced using machines. There was no longer a need for highly skilled workers, because of the ease of working a machine. The process of industrialization is called a revolution because it distinguished a change in the way the world operated.