The Impact of the Industrial Revolution 1

Working Conditions and Wages

Working Conditions and Wages The factory system was a major change for European workers: Factory work became less skilled Factory conditions were dirty, dangerous, and unhealthy Workers worked long hours (12-16 hr day) Factory workers were not paid well; Women & children were paid less than men Owners required workers “clock in” & limited their breaks to increase production

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Conditions in the Coal Mines

Conditions in Coal Mines The invention of the steam engine increased demand for coal: Coal production grew from 5 million tons in 1750 to 23 million tons in 1830 Men, women, children were used in mines Mines were unhealthy & dangerous: Lung disease, poison gas, drowning, explosions cave-ins were common for workers

Child Labor

Child Labor The Industrial Revolution changed the lives of many children: Rather than working for their parents on family farms, many children in the cities worked in factories, brickyards, or mines Living in cities was expensive so poor families needed their kids to work Child workers earned 10% of an adult wage, worked long hours in dangerous conditions, were often beaten

Changing Role of Women

Changing Role of Women The Industrial Revolution changed the lives of many women: Rather than working with their husbands on family farms and taking care of children, poor women in cities worked in factories Some women worked as domestic servants Factory jobs for women required long hours away from their children and could leave women crippled, sick, or deformed Women were paid ½ or ⅓ of a man’s salary

Urbanization

Urbanization Urbanization increased dramatically: The increase in population and enclosure of farms forced people to move to cities Poor families lived in poorly constructed apartments built by factory owners called tenements in neighborhoods called slums Many families shared cramped apartments that lacked running water or sanitation Hard factory jobs and disease led to short life expectancies for urban workers

Changing Class Structure

Changing Class Structure During the Industrial Revolution, the social class system changed as ownership of land stopped being the most important factor: At the top were the industrial capitalists who gained wealth by owning factories The middle class grew because of growth of engineers, managers, shopkeepers The bottom class grew because of the size of the urban poor who worked for low wages in factories

How did people respond to the changes & abuses of the Industrial Revolution? Some demanded reforms to fix problems caused by the Industrial Revolution In the mid-1800s, Britain & the U.S. passed child & women labor laws that limited hours & type of work they could perform Reformers regulated water, food, sewage; Offered public education; Regulated living & work conditions

When union demands were not met, workers went on strike How did people respond to the changes & abuses of the Industrial Revolution? Workers joined unions & demand better pay, fewer hours, safer work conditions When union demands were not met, workers went on strike

The economy of the Industrial Revolution was based on capitalism How did people respond to the changes & abuses of the Industrial Revolution? The economy of the Industrial Revolution was based on capitalism As Adam Smith explained, businesses operated in a free market economy based on competition, profits, supply & demand Governments applied laissez-faire principles & avoided heavy taxes, regulations, or interference in business

How did people respond to the changes & abuses of the Industrial Revolution? Some believed that was the reasons for the growing gap between the rich and poor…

…and rejected capitalism in favor of socialism How did people respond to the changes & abuses of the Industrial Revolution? …and rejected capitalism in favor of socialism Socialists argued that the government should plan the economy by controlling factories, farms, railroads, mines, & important industries This would create equality & end poverty by redistributing wealth from rich capitalists to the poor workers 24

Capitalism vs. Socialism

Karl Marx introduced a radical form of socialism called communism How did people respond to the changes & abuses of the Industrial Revolution? Karl Marx introduced a radical form of socialism called communism Marx & Friedrich Engels wrote The Communist Manifesto which predicted a war between the “haves” & “have nots” Marx encouraged workers to overthrow owners, seize control of factories, distribute goods evenly, & create economic equality for all people 26

Stereotype of the Factory Owner

“Upstairs”/“Downstairs” Life

Questions to Ask: What do you see in this photo? (In this instance it is not the worker as a person but what the worker is doing that we need to focus on) What might these workers be doing? Would you like doing the same task for hours on end? http://images.encarta.msn.com/xrefmedia/sharemed/targets/images/pho/t628/T628871A.jpg 29

A woman worker in a Lowell Mill (late 1800s, early 1900s) Questions to Ask: What do you see in this image? What do you think about the machine the woman is working with? Does it look safe or dangerous? http://165.176.125.169/schools/projects/photoproject/history/lowell/womenworker3.JPG 30

Boys working in a textile mill of some sort Questions to Ask: What do you see in this picture? (It is part of the textile industry) How old do these boys look? Why would these boys be hired for a job they’re obviously not tall enough to do? Does this look dangerous? http://www.flickr.com/photos/35537617@N03/3290775193/in/photostream/ 31

Girl working in a textile mill of some sort Questions to Ask: What do you see in this photo? (It is part of the textile industry) How old does the girl look? How much of the machine do you think she is responsible for looking after? Do you think she is on her feet the whole day? http://www.clemson.edu/caah/history/FacultyPages/PamMack/lec323/lowell.htm 32

Evidence of Textile Workers in Wilson's Mill, Nottingham Hannah Goode: "I work at Mr. Wilson's mill. I think the youngest child is about 7. I daresay there are 20 under 9 years. It is about half past five by our clock at home when we go in....We come out at seven by the mill. We never stop to take our meals, except at dinner. William Crookes is overlooker in our room. He is cross-tempered sometimes. He does not beat me; he beats the little children if they do not do their work right....I have sometimes seen the little children drop asleep or so, but not lately. If they are catched asleep they get the strap. They are always very tired at night....I can read a little; I can't write. I used to go to school before I went to the mill; I have since I am sixteen." Mrs. Smith: "I have three children working in Wilson's mill; one 11, one 13, and the other 14. They work regular hours there. We don't complain. If they go to drop the hours, I don't know what poor people will do. We have hard work to live as it is. ...My husband is of the same mind about it...last summer my husband was 6 weeks ill; we pledged almost all our things to live; the things are not all out of pawn yet. ...We complain of nothing but short wages...My children have been in the mill three years. I have no complaint to make of their being beaten...I would rather they were beaten than fined."

Lowell Mills Boarding House, early- to mid-1800s Questions to Ask: What do you see in this image? (Some early factory owners built up cities around their factories, buildings like dormitories for workers, churches, stores, schools, etc) Does this look like a nice place to live? Would you want to live here? Do you think it stayed this nice for a long time? http://library.uml.edu/clh/All/boa04.htm 36

“London through the haze” c.1910 (smog) Questions to Ask: What do you see here? How healthy do you think this is? Where are some places that have smog today? (LA, NY, Beijing, etc) http://www.hiddenlives.org.uk/articles/poverty_4.html 37

Factory Wages in Lancashire, 1830 Age of Worker Male Wages Female Wages under 11 2s 3d. 2s. 4d. 11 - 16 4s. 1d. 4s. 3d. 17 - 21 10s. 2d. 7s. 3d. 22 - 26 17s. 2d. 8s. 5d. 27 - 31 20s. 4d. 8s. 7d. 32 - 36 22s. 8d. 8s. 9d. 37 - 41 21s. 7d. 9s. 8d. 42 - 46 20s. 3d. 9s. 3d. 47 - 51 16s. 7d. 8s. 10d. 52 - 56 16s. 4d. 8s. 4d. 57 - 61 13s. 6d. 6s. 4d.

photograph by Jacob Riis Questions to Ask: What do you see? How many men are in this one room? (6, I think) Would you want to live in a room like this? Do you think this is healthy? http://www.davidoverholt.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/_riis.jpg 39

Industrial Staffordshire

The New Industrial City

Early-19c London by Gustave Dore

Worker Housing in Manchester

Factory Workers at Home

Workers Housing in Newcastle Today

The Life of the New Urban Poor: A Dickensian Nightmare!

Private Charities: Soup Kitchens

Private Charities: The “Lady Bountifuls”

QUESTIONS What do you think happened to younger children when the family was away at work in mills? What might be different about work done at home compared to work in the factory? Why did some workers oppose the imposition of laws restricting women and children's work?