How Did The Industrial Revolution Affect The Working Class
The Industrial Revolution was a landmark historical event that took place during the 18th and 19th century which created immense changes that spread worldwide. Before the industrial revolution the majority of individuals lived in agrarian lifestyles where most people lived in the countryside. Due to new technology and new machinery, this created mass production of products which created more work opportunities. Urbanisation increased as more people moved from the countryside to the towns and cities looking for work. This essay will focus on the living and working conditions of the working class and the impact the industrial revolution had on the working class compared to the upper class that became richer.
The term Industrial Revolution dates
back to the 1790s where French economist Jerome-Adolphe Blanqui is credited. However the term became popularised in the 1880s after Arnold Toynbee’s publication of Lectures on the Industrial Revolution (May, 1996). Based on Friedrich Engles work, who expanded the works of Blanqui , Toynbee painted a picture of the Industrial Revolution as something cataclysmic which had consequences for the general public. Having a strong pessimistic view during the 1880s is not surprising because poverty was rediscovered during this time although not for the last time. Many historians such as J.L., Sydney, Barbara Hammond and Beatrice Webb agreed with Toynbee’s views and with the collective view believed something went wrong if half a century later individuals were still living in squalor conditions and bad health (May, 1996).
The term Industrial Revolution dates
back to the 1790s where French economist Jerome-Adolphe Blanqui is credited. However the term became popularised in the 1880s after Arnold Toynbee’s publication of Lectures on the Industrial Revolution (May, 1996). Based on Friedrich Engles work, who expanded the works of Blanqui , Toynbee painted a picture of the Industrial Revolution as something cataclysmic which had consequences for the general public. Having a strong pessimistic view during the 1880s is not surprising because poverty was rediscovered during this time although not for the last time. Many historians such as J.L., Sydney, Barbara Hammond and Beatrice Webb agreed with Toynbee’s views and with the collective view believed something went wrong if half a century later individuals were still living in squalor conditions and bad health (May, 1996).