The Era of Social Reform

The Industrial Revolution was a period of in which fundamental changes occurred in agriculture, factories, mining, transportation, machinery, economic policies, and in the social structure of England. Industrialization began in Great Britain and it was a major turning point in history. It changed the way countries produced its goods. England turned into an agricultural society to an industry and manufacturing society. During this era, there was a huge impact on the growth of cities, employment of skilled and unskilled workers, the role of women and families, and laws and national policies.

During this time, there was a great advancement with technology and along with it came the growth of cities. The growth of cities has been seen as a consequence in the Industrial Revolution. Before this era, many people lived in farms or small villages working in agriculture. They would do everything by hand. However, with the occurrence of the Revolution everything changed. The new enclosure laws, which allowed farmers and landlords to fence their fields at the owner’s expense, had left many poor farmers bankrupt and small farms disappeared into large estates. Charles “Turnip” Townshend introduced crop rotations that restored nutrients to the soil, allowing for greater yield and scientific breeding to improve the quality of herds. The result was an increase in productivity with fewer agricultural workers (Robert Edgar Pg.535). This caused more people to leave the farms to work in the factories. Also, the introduction of new machinery that produced greater amount of output made many workers redundant. As a result, many people that lived in farms journeyed to the city to look for work. This required them to move to towns and cities ...

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...empts by Parliament to pass laws and national policies designed to improve working conditions and regulations relative to children and women in the workforce. The changes from the revolution left a permanent mark and are very important to society today.

Works Cited

Bland, Celia. The Mechanical Age: The Industrial Revolution in England. New York, NY: Facts on File, 1995. Print.

Lines, Clifford John. Companion to the Industrial Revolution. Ed. Barrie Stuart. Trinder. New York: Facts on File, 1990. Print.

Edgar, Robert R., Neil J. Hackett, George F. Jewsbury, Barbara Molony, and Matthew S. Gordon. Civilizations past & Present. 12th ed. Vol. 2. New York: Pearson/Longman, 2008. Print.

"Thomas Malthus: Essay on the Principle of Population (1798)." Thomas Malthus: Essay on the Principle of Population (1798). Constituion Society, 10 Sept. 2002. Web. 28 May 2012.