Industrial Revolution Dbq Analysis

The nineteenth century was a time of prosperity and growth for many regions, including England due to the height of the Industrial Revolution. This occurred in the early 1800’s causing cities to increase their populations and produce greater amounts of textile products through machinery. Manchester, England was among the developing cities due to its first mechanized cotton mill in the late eighteenth century . The growth of Manchester’s population and advancing technology caused innumerable issues such as dreadful working, living, and sanitary conditions which resulted in positive along with negative reactions from the public.

At the start of the nineteenth century, the working conditions in Manchester immediately decreased, becoming
ghastly . As Flora Tristan observed, “you cannot appreciate the physical suffering and moral degradation of this class of the population”(Doc 7). Along with noticing the hardships of the working class, Tristan notes workers are functioning for the employers for as many as fourteen hours a day in poor quality quarters (Doc 7). Additionally, Abram contrasts this idea when he states the hazardous hours of a laborer has been minimized to ten hours a day in his publication from 1868 ( Doc 10). However, when expressing the hours of work has been reduced to ten hours, Abram proves the endeavors of these men had been brutally long requiring shifts to be reduced. Moreover, Manchester had succumbed horrifying sanitary conditions throughout the city, provoking diseases and illnesses. Due to an absence of antecedent city planning, Manchester grew rapidly with little thought put into sewage and waste systems. The accelerated expansion of the population made it necessary to build and develop the city rapidly as interpreted from the city maps one hundred years apart (Doc 1). This expansion lead to Manchester becoming a critical city to England contrary to its previous state of being an overlooked town. The demand for more housing harvested narrow streets lined with houses blackened by factory smoke, according to Robert Southey (Doc 2). Smoke was a common problem in Manchester as clarified by the illustration of factories releasing smoke into the air along with waste dumped into rivers (Doc 11). The smoke enclosed the city, it remained inside the factories while laborers worked.

Furthermore, the dreadful sanitary environment lead to bad living conditions and a diminishing moral throughout Manchester. The compelling evidence that the average age of death for a worker in Manchester, an industrial district, is less than half of a farmer in Rutland, a rural district, corresponds with the conditions (Doc 8). The society of Manchester was aware of the gruesome truths about their city, causing it to lower its expectations of life and give up hope of a better future. This produces Alexis de Tocqueville’s view of the “filthy sewer” that is Manchester,“Nowhere do you see happy ease taking his leisurely walk in the streets of the city”(Doc 5). The citizens of this city are not only forced into an unpleasant atmosphere, but also a life of work and home, no priority on happiness. Meanwhile, this concept is continued with Robert Southey when he identified the reality of Manchester, “when the bell rings, it is to call the wretches to their work instead of their prayers” (Doc 2). Work surpassed all other tasks that composed the lives of the proletariat. Kemble agrees living conditions of the “lowest order of artisans” were filled with hopelessness as she described them as a “grim and grimy crowd” with “starved-looking weaver” as they waited upon their Government (Doc 4). Similarly, Edwin Chadwick brings the truth about Manchester to light when he states, “The annual loss of life from filth and bad ventilation is greater than the loss from death or wounds in modern wars” (Doc 6). His evidence provides an example of the excruciating aspects of an ordinary life, such as decomposing substances, overcrowding, and diseases. (Doc 6) Issues from the Industrial Revolution had a prominent impact on the daily lives of the working class in a horrendous manner.

Not to mention, both residents and visitors of Manchester had varying views on the technological advances and diminishing living conditions during this vital time. Some of those thought the mechanical business was a crucial part of the modern World competition. Thomas B. Macaulay presents the improving city of Manchester, “People live longer because they are better fed, better lodged, better clothed, and better attended in sickness, and these improvements are owing to the increase in national wealth”( Doc 3). Wheelan and Co. offered a similar opinion of Manchester, “the workshop of the World,” they believed Manchester is the central location for industry and commerce in England (Doc 9). Correspondingly, William Alexander Abra concluded the Industrial Revolution achieved many new accomplishments in Manchester and the population there. He identified one advantage of the nineteenth century, “Wages-- thanks mainly to accelerated machinery and improved working conditions-- have largely increased” (Doc 10). Accompanied with these benefits, he speculated the changes occurring around the city created a promotion on happiness and health (Doc 10). Henceforth, many suggest the Industrial Revolution was a time of prosperity and improving upon the previous standards.

Regardless of the believed improvements to society, there were many citizens who did not coincide with these reactions.
For example, a French socialist, Flora Tristan recognizes the fatal conditions and constructs a poor view on the Industrial Revolution and it's effects. She expresses her opinion about the life quality in Manchester, “they are wizened, sickly and emancipated, their bodies thin and frail, their limbs feeble, their complexions pale, their eyes dead” (Doc 7). Not only was the population dying at frightening rates, but the citizens disapproved the machines and factories replacing them in the work force. Also, Frances Anne Kemble crudely speaks about the protests against machinery and the government's inadequacy to sustain a healthy, happy community(Doc 4). As described by Tocqueville, Manchester’s populace lost it's optimism and had degraded back into the savage (Doc 5). Consequently, society’s way of thinking devolved from enthusiastic and passionate to despair and misery. Noticed by Edwin Chadwick, as well, was, “an adult population short-lived, reckless, and intemperate, and with habits of sensual gratification” (Doc 6). He observed the hopelessness of each worker transporting from one tortuous burden to the next. Ultimately, some occupants perceived a negative view of the Industrial Revolution due to the treacherous conditions and demoralized
society.

In conclusion, the Industrial Revolution had various effects on the city of Manchester, England resulting in conflicting viewpoints. From declining sanitary, working, and living conditions to increasing productions, the Industrial Revolution truly revolutionized all aspects of human history. Therefore, the nineteenth century had an everlasting influence on the characteristics of everyday lives, for instance, a majority of the objects surrounding individuals of our current society were produced in factories by machines.