Industrial Revolution In England

Throughout the course of the nineteenth century, England underwent many social and economic changes due to the prosperity of the country. England stood out from other European countries due to many different factors. One was the fact that the country had Parliament. This maintained a strong government with more rights that were given to the citizens than other countries at the time. Another factor was the Industrial Revolution that was occurring in England. The Industrial Revolution was the transition from hand-made products to machine made products. This resulted in a great economy and many jobs that required little to no skill. All of these components of England resulted in a boom in population and the creation of towns and cities where there

Through unbiased documents that give factual evidence about Manchester’s situation, it becomes clear that the population growth from 1750 to 1850 caused many serious issues. After the first mechanized cotton machine was invented, Manchester became a leader not only in England, but throughout Europe, in the textile industry. In a century, the city’s population went from 18,000 to over 300,000. This is shown clearly in the map from the Town and City Maps of the British Isles, 1800-1855. The map shows the city at least quadrupling in size in areas of development. The shows the vast boom in population which raises several issues. For example, when a city is created that fast, there leaves much left to be desired. The citizens will want representation in Parliament, which gives way to tension between the people and government that could be met with resistance on both sides. This tension between the people and their government gives way to anger and resentment towards authority. This is shown in action through an eyewitness account of the inaugural journey of the Prime Minister through Manchester in 1830. The account states that citizens swarmed the carriage on the street, shouting and throwing things at it. It was evident to everyone present that the crowd was displeased, “Shouting ‘No Corn Laws’ . . . a dangerous spirit of discontent with the government prevailed” (Document 4). This account was from the point of view of an actress who had no ties to Manchester. Her account showed no inclination towards one side or the other. Another issue raised from the growth in population was the major decline in health. The Lancet, a British medical journal, published a report in 1843 that displayed the health of Manchester citizens in comparison with other English cities. The journal published statistics