The Industrial Revolution in Europe could be described as the transition of the use of hand-powered labor to machine operated manufacturing methods. This transition ultimately changed the way the world produces its goods in a more efficient and quicker way in today’s modern world. This revolution began in Great Britain in 1750 and followed the Agricultural Revolution. Through primary source documents like the Factory System: Two Views (Dr. Andrew Ure vs. Friederich Engels), The Sadler Commission Testimonies, and the selections from Elizabeth Gaskell’s novel North and South we are able to witness how the Industrial Revolution impacted both economic and social aspects of life during that time. No one can doubt that the Industrial Revolution provided advantages that ultimately helped mold our society into the modern world that we know and love. However, the disadvantages were way more detrimental to those that lived through the Industrial Revolution. Harsh polluted living and working conditions, social class tension and cruel child and family labor were all drawbacks that can not be ignored and overlooked by the Industrial Revolutions now present successes.
The Industrial Revolution brought about Emigration and Urbanization. Prior to the Industrial Revolution many families resided in rural farming areas on the countryside. They were considered peasants that used farming and agriculture as a means for money and stability. Although many families stayed in the life of farming, many other families decided to move into the cities to look for jobs doing industrial work in the coalmines and cotton mills. Living conditions in the urban cities were definitely a dramatic change. Instead of rural wide-open fresh-aired land, they were cramped up in overpopulated and polluted cities. Overall the cities were not exactly the cleanest places to live. They were also filled with both air and water pollution. The factories expelled