Transcript The Industrial Revolution

The Industrial
Revolution
Hardships of Early Industrial Life
The Rise of Industrial Cities

Urbanization- movement of people from
the countryside to cities
– Manchester- 17,000 people in 1750: 70,000 in
1801
– The rise of slums- overcrowded poor living in
dirt and disease. No running water, sanitation
system or garbage removal
The Factory system

Rigid discipline- people must work while
the engine is working- 16 hr days
– Danger from machines
– Breathing hazards from coal dust and cotton
lint
– Sick or injured workers lost their jobs
Women and Labor
Women were preferred to men- more
easily adaptable to machines, easier to
manage than men
 They could be paid less for the same work

Child Labor

Children could work in small spaces
– Changing spools, climbing through narrow
mine shafts
– Often, orphans were hired to work for foodgetting beaten if they didn’t work fast enough
The Working Class

Protests and Riots- at first by artisans
whose jobs were being taken by machines
– These protesters were called “Luddites”
– Luddites were hanged or sent to Australia’s
penal colony
– All attempts at unionizing (organizing) were
met with harsh discipline
The Spread of Methodism
Founded in mid 1700s by John Wesley
 Stressed the need for a personal sense of
faith
 Improve life by adopting sober, moral
ways


Methodism channeled workers’ anger
away from Revolution and towards social
reform
The New Middle Class
Made up of entrepreneurs, artisans,
merchants
 Lived in nice homes, dressed and ate well
 Opposed to labor unions or factory
regulation
 Valued hard work and “getting ahead”
