social impact of the industrial revolution
tenements, or multistory buildings
Urbanization became known as a movement of people to the cities causing soaring population growth. During this time, the middle class owned and operated factories, mines and railroads, while the farm families moved to cities and became factory and mine workers. The middle class was known as the bourgeoisie and lived in well-furnished spacious homes. The industrial working class lived in tenements, or multistory buildings, divided into apartments with a community pump and sewage dumped into rivers.
Labor unions were workers' organizations that were illegal, but secret unions existed with frustrated British workers. One group was known as the Luddites that refused to use the machines that reduced the need for manual labor, costing many their jobs. These men were famous for banding together, wearing masks and anonymously destroying machinery, mostly in the textile industry.
Factory workers faced harsh conditions with long shifts lasting 12-16 hours for 6 or 7 days a week with few breaks, if any. There were often unsafe conditions where workers might lose a finger or a limb or even their lives due to lack of safety devices. Polluted air damaged their lungs. Many were women workers were paid half of what a man would make. Mine workers had even worse conditions because they worked in the dark and coal dust damaged their lungs. They also endured the risk of explosions, flooding and collapse of the tunnels.
Labor unions were workers' organizations that were illegal, but secret unions existed with frustrated British workers. One group was known as the Luddites that refused to use the machines that reduced the need for manual labor, costing many their jobs. These men were famous for banding together, wearing masks and anonymously destroying machinery, mostly in the textile industry.
Factory workers faced harsh conditions with long shifts lasting 12-16 hours for 6 or 7 days a week with few breaks, if any. There were often unsafe conditions where workers might lose a finger or a limb or even their lives due to lack of safety devices. Polluted air damaged their lungs. Many were women workers were paid half of what a man would make. Mine workers had even worse conditions because they worked in the dark and coal dust damaged their lungs. They also endured the risk of explosions, flooding and collapse of the tunnels.
Children from mines
During these years of the Industrial Revolution, children started working as young as age 5, most at age 7 or 8. They had to crawl under machines to replace thread. In mines, they sat in the dark and hauled coal carts in extreme heat. The “factory acts” were passed to reduce the workday to 12 hours and remove 8- 9 years old children from the cotton mills, but most owners did not obey them. Later laws were passed to shorten the workday for women and required all child workers to be educated.
Work Cited
Pynchon,Thomas; Is it O.K to Be a Luddite? (1984)
Pynchon,Thomas; Is it O.K to Be a Luddite? (1984)