Before the 19th century, almost everything was made by hand in a painstakingly long process. However, around 1760, the industrial revolution began in Europe. Everything began to be manufactured and processed by machines. People migrated to the cities for jobs as demand for workers increased, and the industry prospered. Products were created quicker and more easily with the aid of machines, and national wealth flourished. Everyone was content, or so it seemed. Behind the curtains of a successful industry, workers clinged to life, trapped in a web of dust and smoke. With every inhale, they absorbed toxins into their frail bodies. The Industrial Revolution massacred workers through inhumane treatment and toxic working and living conditions. While …show more content…
Workers in industrial factories were treated harshly. They suffered physically and mentally, as they were born into a position of working young without a steady supply of food. According to Flora Tristan’s journal, workers had more needs than just food. Workers lived miserably, with a lack of “clothing, bed, furniture, fuel… they live suspended between an insufficiency of food, and an excess of strong drink” (Document 4). Without basic necessities, a fulfilling life was nearly impossible. All of their hard work was in vain. For all of their long 12-13 hour workdays, they were still unable to afford shelter or food- things that are considered to be necessary for life. Most importantly, the Industrial Revolution created toxic work environments. Workers labored for long, strenuous hours with few breaks. Their workplace consisted of small, cramped rooms with low ceilings, which trapped dust and particles of fabric or metal. As described in Journeys to England and Ireland by Alexis de Tocqueville, workers rarely …show more content…
They claim that people lived longer and had a better quality of live. They may also claim that new laws were made to fix the disgraceful acts against workers. While both of these statements are true, they do not tell the full story. Firstly, only wealthy people lived longer and had a better quality of life. According to Southey’s Colloquies by Thomas Macaulay, people had a better quality of life. They lived longer and were “better fed, better lodged, better clothed, and better attended in sickness… owing to the increase in national wealth” (Document 2). Nations gained wealth from the success of their factories, which impacted the people at the top of the social hierarchy. Government officials and factory owners did experience a better life, but it was only made possible by the torment of the working class. One could say that this prosperous life was stolen away from the workers. This slim minority benefitted at the cost of hundreds or thousands of ruined lives. Since the people of Manchester includes the working class, which greatly outweighs the wealthy, an overwhelming majority of Manchester’s citizens did not benefit. Secondly, the laws made to fix the torment of the working class were not effective. William Abram’s journal article explains how the new laws “improved” lives. As stated in his article, “the excessive hours of labor have been legally reduced to ten hours per
During the late 1800’s and the early 1900’s an economic and industrialized revolution took place in America. As important natural and manmade resources such as Iron, coal, and lumber had just become easily accessible. Which for most meant an improvement on their living conditions, but for the poverty it meant sustaining their life was going to get harder. The wealthy became wealthier and the poor became the mule of labor. “Those who are above the point of separation are elevated, but those who are below are crushed down,” (Doc 3).
However, the need for steel and oil were greatly demanded. The Gilded Age created many fortunes for people and their families during this period. While the economy wealth started to rise and expand rapidly, industrial workers worked in poor conditions that were often hidden behind the nation. Many men were killed building buildings and other constructions. Once the men were killed that was it, nothing left for the families to be taken care of.
Industrial Revolution DBQ Essay The Industrial Revolution was a time period that began in the 18th century in Great Britain and later spread throughout many other parts of the world, such as further in Europe and the United States. The revolution involved a shift between making goods by hand to by machine and impacted those of all social classes, each with their own active role in contributing to progression. Manchester, an influential and powerful city of the revolution period, illustrates the ways to which the revolution progressed. The city presents evidence of initially divided social classes and a negatively impacted environment, but later amends were made to create a generally positive outcome.
As stated by the publication in 1831, The Working Man’s Companion subtitled The Results of Machinery, Namely Cheap Production and Increased Employment, “You are surrounded… with an infinite number of comforts and conveniences which had no existence two or three centuries ago and those comforts are not used only by a few, but are within the reach of almost all men” (Document 9). Before the Industrial Revolution, humans were provided with only the simplest ways of life, but had advanced so much further with the beginnings of the Industrial Revolution. Although life was difficult and unpleasant as the Industrial Revolution first commenced due to child labor and bad working conditions, unions eventually came into place to protect the workers and improve society to a greater degree. “(Before the Industrial Revolution), one person doing all five required steps in manufacturing a product can make one unit, (but during the Industrial Revolution), five people, each specializing in one of the five steps, can make ten units in the same time” (Document 4). First of all, because products were manufactured faster, prices were lowered and productivity increased.
Before the late 1700s, Europe and America were chiefly agrarian rural societies. Most people had small workshops or worked out of their homes in what was called a cottage industry. Innovations such as the Water Frame, Spinning Jenny, and Steam Engine revolutionized the textile industry and culminated in a boost to the economy. These inventions sparked the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in England, and the new technology propelled the country's shift to a manufacturing and urban society. Eventually, the revolution spread to other countries.
The Industrial Revolution refers to a time of greatly increased output of machine-made goods that emerged within the textile industry. The Industrial Revolution, which began in England in the late 1700’s, had a wide range of positive and negative effects on the economic and social life of the people of England. The results of the Industrial Revolution have been interpreted many ways through the various social classes of Britain; the peasants who suffered from the dangers of the factories and tenements and the upper class who benefited from capital and enterprises. Although the Industrial Revolution positively affected Britain’s iron production and added conveniences and comforts to daily life for the upper class, the dangers of the factories’
Problems in Manchester DBQ In the 19th century, the Industrial Revolution brought many changes to Europe. While some of these changes, such as light, coal, and more jobs, benefitted the continent and set it towards many of the advances that put us where we are today, many of the changes at the time lead to miserable people within the city. Along with the fact that factories were polluting water in rivers and the air, people working in the factories died young because of long work hours, little sleep and little family time. In addition, people were having many children in order to bring more income to the family, forcing their children to work at as little as the age of three.
The work environment was unsanitary and many people were getting sick and or dying. Although, the Industrial Revolution was sad, in the end the western civilization was able to extend their power and become more well
The Gilded Age was to describe America in the late nineteenth century. The outside of the US seemed glamorous and splendid alongside industrial development and massive economic growth. However, the dark sides were hidden beneath it. In my perspective, I believe we are living in the 2nd Gilded age.
The life of a 19th-century industrial worker was far from easy. Even in good times wages were low, hours long, and working conditions hazardous. Trying to fix the issue, many Europeans suggested much needed solutions to this problem. Over the course of the 19th century Europeans suggested that there should be equality between men women and social classes, that there should be a peaceful reorganization of social classes, and a revolution or a change in government. During the Industrial Revolution, as more factories were being built, more people were willing to do work as long as they got paid.
Usually, people worked long hours and had no time to go out and explore different fun activities. Another thing that did not help them was the fact that these people had no money or electricity. Luckily, industrialization made jobs become more complex and education became mandatory.
It was not until the 1760s when steam power was introduced and that served as one of the turning points for the Industrial Revolution. The introduction of the steam engine limited the need for human power (using hands to utilize machines) and sped up the process of creating cloth. Steam engines had the ability to link multiple looms at once and that produced mass production. Although the cloth and textile industry flourished, it was not until 1793 in Americas where the Cotton Gin was created. This machine was able to peel away the seeds from cotton and because of that, the cotton industry was slowly, but surely able to have many merchants taking notice.
The industrial revolution created an age of wonder for the rich but also created a nightmare for the workers powering the industrial revolution. The period of rapid industrial growth during the 1800s and into the early 1900s was more harmful because of poor working conditions, violent labor disputes and poor regulations at factories. The businessmen of the industrial revolution created poor working conditions for men and women just
The Industrial Revolution had a significant impact in society by changing means of production, wealth and population distribution, amongst other things. As a result of urbanization, the population rapidly increased as the death rates declined. The cities were not prepared for such drastic changes, leading people to live in horrible conditions. I believe that the movement was ultimately worth its costs, but it could have benefited from a more moderate approach towards the workers. The production needs at the time were mostly industrial, and consequently many workers moved from farms to the factories, as industries needed to keep up with the demand and workers experienced a substantial increase on their income.