The Worst Effects Of The Industrial Revolution

The industrial revolution was a turning point in history that brought along technological advancement in transportation and in factories. Although these improvements may have bettered the economic conditions of the country they had negative effects on the cities, the child laborers, and public health and safety.

The reason Great Britain was able to go into the industrial revolution was because of its country high abundance of natural resources. Coal was a major factor, especially when it came to transportation. The steam locomotive was a train powered by coal. In order for “Rocket” the steam locomotive to be used by railways in England it had to go through certain trials to prove its efficiency. The News report on October 27, 1829 even shows

The cities had piles of debris everywhere, and Friederich Engles whom was a German Philosopher used what he saw during the industrial revolution in Great Britain as an influence for his book “The Conditions of the Working Class in England,” he discusses the how he viewed the horrors of child labor, a despoiled environment and how laborers were overworked and impoverished. (Doc. 4) Engles thought that people should not work in such horrid conditions and together with Karl Marx came up with “The Communist Manifesto” which was first published in London. With the population increasing in the cities the living conditions got worse. The cities became even more unhygienic and disease-ridden which caused the death of many of those living in those areas, especially at a young age. (Doc. 8) Since there was no efficient sanitation systems or public health services that informed the low-working class that populated the cities how to take care of themselves and how hygiene attributed to contracting diseases. Edward Chadwick was a social reformer that pointed out the unfortunate circumstances that the people lived in, with an unsanitary water supply, no education on public health and how the dangerous working conditions didn’t even pay enough to sustain oneself. He realized that new policies needed to be set in order to help with the conditions set forth by the influx of immigrants into urban areas. (Doc.5)