Changes Of The Industrial Revolution

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The Industrial Revolution brought many changes to the societies that experienced the process of industrialization. Some of the changes benefited society, while others caused harm to most of the society. Most affected by these changes was the working class of these societies. In regards to the working people of the country of England, they experienced a lot of pain caused by industrialization. The gains of the Industrial Revolution in England from 1780 to 1850 were not worth the pain that was caused by it, which primarily affected the working class of England. The working class experienced harsh working and living conditions during the Industrial Revolution. The workers, especially women and children, were overworked and exploited by the higher classes which included the owners of the factories or mines in which they worked in. Their health was affected negatively by the working conditions that they experienced. Even though some of the effects that the Industrial Revolution brought benefited the working people in a way, they were not worth the pain and suffering that they experienced.

The working class of England was exploited by the higher classes of society. Workers of this time period suffered in horrible working and living conditions. During the early period of the Industrial Revolution, there were few laws protecting the working class, especially for children. Women and children suffered the most during this time period. In Document 1, there are multiple testimonies by women and children about working in the coal mines. These people are workers who experience hard lives and are overworked. One of the testimonies is given by a six year old girl. She states that “[she carries] a full 56 lbs. of coal in a wooden bucket.” Anot...

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...d environmental impacts of the Industrial Revolution.

The gains caused by the Industrial Revolution didn’t necessarily benefit the working class. In Document 7, a historian argues that the revolution improved the lives of factory workers because the factories produced more cheap products for the middle and working classes. However, workers often were underpaid and the goods that were produced didn’t necessarily benefit the workers as they didn’t have the time to enjoy the goods that were produced. Document 8 shows how the use of trains reduced the travel time between cities and towns. While this may have benefited the middle-class and higher, working classes worked in factories all the time and didn’t have time to take rides on trains if they wanted to make money. Many of the gains caused by the Industrial Revolution only benefited the higher classes of society.

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