Housing in cities during the Industrial revolution

Life in an Industrial Town

Problems in Industrial towns population Overcrowding Poor housing Poor hygiene Dirty drinking water Pollution Sewage

Overcrowding The rapid increase in the size of cities caused overcrowding. There was a lack of housing and many families had to live in one room. There was no access to clean water and toilets were outside and shared by all the families living in the building. Sanitation became a problem and led to outbreaks of diseases such a smallpox, cholera and tuberculosis. In 1832 alone, over 31,000 people died of cholera. The spread of cholera forced the government to act as it killed not only the poor, but also the rich. The Public Health Act was passed in 1948 that forced cities to install sewage pipes and improve the condition of water

Living Conditions Urbanization: Cities became more common and more populated – some ______________________ People migrated to cities looking for work, especially unemployed farmers due to the ______________. Cities were dirty and dangerous. There was a lack of sanitation laws, no fire or police departments, no running water. doubled or tripled in size Enclosure Acts

What was life like in industrial towns? Robert Southey wrote: "The dwellings of the labouring manufacturers are in narrow streets, blocked up from light and air, crowded together because every inch of land is of such value that room for light and air cannot be afforded them. Here in Manchester, a great proportion of the poor lodge in cellars, damp and dark, where every kind of filth is left to accumulate. Friedrich Engels wrote: ‘The irregular cramming together of dwellings in ways which defy all rational plan. They are crowded literally one upon the other. At the end of the court passage is a toilet without a door, so dirty that the inhabitants can pass into and out of the court only by passing through foul pools of stagnant urine and excrement.

Types of housing Cellar dwellings Back to back housing Built in a court grid system The rows of houses were literally built 'back to back' one room deep. One-room cellars below ground level. They were damp and poorly ventilated

“Dens Of Death”

Working class neighborhood in Industrial London

Sleeping In Sheds

Life In A Tenement House

Night In A Tenement

Rear View of a Tenement Building

Problems of overcrowding The shortage of housing often meant that one house accommodated several families, each having one room: ‘On the second floor lived a widow. In her room lived her grown-up son, two daughters, and two or three children of one of these daughters. Above on the third floor lived a market porter, his wife and four children.’ Charles Booth, 1889. 10 people

Problems in towns In the 18th and 19th centuries, anyone who owned land could build whatever they wanted on it. There were no laws governing the quality of building Houses were built poorly and towns were not looked after. People lived in horrible conditions

The problem of public health shown here is …….

The problem of public health shown here is ……. Overcrowded buildings. Many people often had to share the same small and dirty rooms and the same beds. This meant diseases would spread quickly and easily. The problem of public health shown here is …….public lodging houses. Here many people, often strangers, would share dirty and cramped rooms. This meant that diseases could spread quickly and as people moved around the country they would spread the disease further. The problem of public health shown here is ……. Dirty streets with rubbish heaps. A woman is dressed in ragged clothing and is searching through a heap of rubbish in the street, you can also see a child playing in the rubbish. The waste was not removed from the streets which shows that people lived in filthy conditions and this could have led to diseases spreading. The problem of public health shown here is ……. Death. A coffin is being carried among the crowded streets. This shows that people were around dying or dead people which would have made it easier for them to catch diseases. The problem of public health shown here is ……. child poverty A young boy is holding a broom used for cleaning chimneys which tells us he works. The boy is dressed in rags which shows he is poor. Many children did dangerous jobs and worked for long hours for little pay and could afford not much food or clothing. This meant that they would be under-nourished and unhealthy, which made them more likely to die from diseases.

Half a brick thin

Health Most of these slum housing had little in the way of furniture. Many had just a table, a few chairs and a bed. A bed would be shared by several family members, and if some did shift work the bed could be used night and day.

“There is one toilet, which has a cesspool in common with another toilet attached to another house. The cesspool is nearly full; the wood-work of the toilet can scarcely hold together, and is dangerous to use. Not long ago the landlady of some houses fell into a cesspool and was suffocated.” London 1848

Problems with the water supply Water supply was a massive problem. Sewage contaminated water as privies and rubbish were left to overflow and fester.

Diseases Diseases & killer conditions Cholera Typhoid Influenza Tuberculosis Pneumonia