Impact Of The Industrial Revolution

From the 1780s to the mid 19th century the Industrial Revolution was at full pace. The era is responsible for the innovative inventions that changed the world and we still rely on today along with the environmental consequences that followed. Factories were dangerous and many workers were discriminated, it is because of this that workplaces are safe and employees are treated and payed fairly.

The Industrial Revolution was the development of industry that occurred in Britain and Europe or the USA between the years 1750 to 1900. It introduced the development of machinery. It was characterised by the use of steam power, growth of factories, and mass production of manufactured goods. The steam train used to transport people or goods over long distances on land.

Woman along with the children were affected while working during the industrial revolution. During 1834 and 1836 Harriet Martineau, a British feminist and abolitionist, visited America and enthusiastically embraced the social implications of the Industrial Revolution, (DTA, 223). Martineau compared the lifestyle of women to slaves and said the United States contradicted the principles of the Declaration of Independence. She did believe though with some progress that it could become New England’s new industrial order. One of the Mill factories Martineau visited, Waltham Mill, was a prime example of the scheduled lifestyle of women mill workers. Women Mill workers of all ages worked at Waltham Mill, which I compared to a boarding school because of their strict schedules. The ladies had a time to wake up, to be at work, to eat, and to go to school. A lot of women did not mind the harsh conditions they lived and worked in because they fought for their equality of rights for a long time now.

The industrial revolution swept through Europe and North America during the 19th century, affecting the class structure, economy, government, and even the religious practices of everyone who lived in or did commerce with these new "industrialized nations." It made the modern age possible, but it was not without its "growing pains." The position of women before the industrial revolution was often equivalent to chattel, and then as now, they were expected to take naturally to housework and child rearing. The history of working women in the Industrial Revolution is rife with accounts of abuse and tragedy, but overall it improved their position in capitalist societies. Below, I will explain the

Beginning in the mid eighteenth century, much of Europe underwent a sustained series of changes in the way goods are produced known as the industrial revolution. During this movement, technological advancements greatly impacted the coal, heavy metals and textile industries as machines replaced hands as the main mechanism of operation. Consequently, a worker’s level of skill soon lost value and factories that demanded individuals performing menial tasks at a fast rate dotted the landscape. Females became more prominent in the workplace, especially because their smaller hands were better suited for textile factories and their smaller bodies allowed for easier movement in coalmines. Middle class males viewed female workers as a threat to morality, family structure and gender roles while the women saw their employment as a necessary means to provide for themselves and their families. This difference can best be explained by a cultural worldview that increasingly emphasized science and inherent differences between the two sexes. Furthermore, the firsthand accounts depicted by the females stand as the most reliable illustrations of work in the nineteenth century because they take into account the needs of the working class.

Imagine a world without cars, phones, and radio. This world would feature children working in slums and trips that take twice the amount of time they would if one would have simply taken the train. Believe it or not, but this was how society was before Industrialization. It is argued whether or not Industrialization had a positive or negative impact on society, as it brought the dangerous world of child labor and several ill business practices. Despite these hardships, Industrialization had a greatly positive effect on society, as with it came the creation of child labor laws, the advancement in the mass production of goods, and technological advancements that changed our world forever.

One of the fields of work that women stepped into during the industrial revolution were writing and being authors of various literature and articles, because they were empowered by the woman 's entrance into the work place, and inspired by the bad work conditions they were forced to work in (NWHM, 2007). Another field was direct work in the factories, women had smaller hands and arms than the men working in the factories with machinery did, so women were hired for their ability to get in between machines, if necessary, to do maintenance that men could not do because of their size. Women were hired for the reason that they would work for less pay than men would as well, because at the time of this industrial revolution, it was not seen as a big deal for women to be treated with equal wages to men, as they were new to the job field that was not staying in the home and taking care of the small children, keeping house, and relying on their husbands for bringing home money (Tilly, 1994).

During the long nineteenth century, political revolutions, industrialization, and European imperialism resulted in dramatic changes in the role of women in Western Europe and Eastern Asia. As industrialization spread in Western Europe, women were no longer able to fulfill their dual role as a mother and a worker. After the introduction of industrialization, laborious tasks were moved from the household to factories and women were forced to choose either the life of a mother or the life of a worker. Women who chose to leave their households were subjected to harsh conditions, low wages, and long hours. The majority of married and middle-class women were confined to the home, and deprived of an education and civil rights. Unlike the

Women who worked in mills in Massachusetts during the Industrial Revolution (1830s) lived in an era of exploitation. These women were being used by factory owners. Factory owners had control over what women in the mills did and also had control over what they did in the boarding houses which was a way of exploitation. Women had strict rules in the boarding houses (Eynon 8). If they did not follow these rules then one would get kicked out of the house and would lose their job.

The Industrial Revolution brought about an overwhelming amount of economic change to the United States. The first Industrial Revolution started in Great Britain and in Europe in the latter part of the eighteenth century and, it then spread to the United States and Germany. The Industrial Revolution itself refers to a change from hand and home production to machine and factory (Kelly). During this time period, America was growing in knowledge. The industrialization of America involved three great developments. Transportation was expanded, electricity was effectively harnessed and many improvements were made to several industrial processes (Kelly). Although this change greatly helped the United States economy, it had both a positive and negative impact on the lives of the American people.

The family dynamic was drastically restructured during the industrial revolution. When new technology pushed many factory workers out of jobs, there was nowhere for vast amounts of uneducated men to turn. They went home with an uncertain future and no way to provide for their family. No longer could wives stay at home caring for their children all day. Children could no longer bank on a future that followed directly in the footsteps of their parents. Now families would have to come together to help supplement a combined income that would keep the family afloat. Child labor became commonplace in Great Britain. Women began to not only enter the workforce, but, thrive and push past boundaries formerly untouched by women. Times were changing and something more would have to be done to ensure a successful future.

As Europe and America moved to an industrialized economy from an agrarian economy the effects on society were seen almost everywhere. Cities prospered as their populations rapidly expanded because of the demand for labor brought upon by the creation of factories. It was by sheer luck that some of these cities happened to have started in the right places: the cities near seaports grew with demand in trade, cities that had begun near coal resources also grew rapidly. Prior to the industrial revolution, coal was not even considered a commodity of any sort. The mineral was difficult to get to and mine and no one had much reason for needing vast quantities of coal. However, with the advent of the steam engine, crucial to the shipping, transportation and manufacturing industries, coal was in great demand.(Carter and Warren, 181). The industrial revolution also affected the economy and the policies which governed it. The industrial revolution was fueled by capitalism, but followers of Karl Marx, or Marxists, insisted that a capitalist economy was destined to fail (Carter and Warren, 187). The new mechanized societies of the world consisted of many changes, in both the economy and in the lives of individuals, in hopes of better meeting the needs of the people.

During Britain’s Industrial Revolution, a multitude of different jobs were opened to the working class of men, women, and children. While this era offered a wide variety of new opportunities for everyone, women were somewhat excluded in areas such as occupation availability and wage due to the cultural norms of the time period.

The Industrial Revolution had many positive and negative impacts on society. The positive include cheaper clothes, more job opportunities, and improvement in transportation. And the negative would include exploitation of women and children, workers work long hours and environmental damages. These are just a few that I believe had an impact on the Industrial Revolution.

Before the Industrial Revolution, there were many hard times for families. All of this changed when the Industrial Revolution happened. Women