Social Changes During The Industrial Revolution

Considered one of the most significant revolutions in recorded history, the Industrial Revolution was so influential in Britain that it was able to change society on multiple levels. Britain changed from a predominantly agriculture based country to an industrial giant and tripled the country’s population, but also was responsible for the lowering of standards of living due to large scale urbanization, shortened life expectancy, the commonplace of child labour, and the creation of mass production resulting in a new social class structure.
The development of the factory system and mass production was one of the main and most important results of the Industrial Revolution, creating a new economic system, new social classes, many inventions vital to the functioning of today’s society, etc. The factory system was developed in response to the dexterity of the steam engine that had been recently developed. In response to the steam engine, water frames,
As the need for coal and iron in the mines increased, this increased the number of jobs needing to be filled and everyone, including women and children, were eager to fill them to provide an income for their family. The majority of women working in the coal mines would become drawers, pulling heavy carts full of stone via. Chains and rope attached to their waists. Betty Harris was a woman who was a mine drawer and lived during the Industrial Revolution and described her experience as painful and dreary.
“I have a belt round my waist, and a chain passing between my legs, and I go on my hands and feet… The pit is wet where I work, and the water comes over our clog tops always, and I have seen it up to my thighs… My clothes are wet through almost all day long… I have drawn until I have had the skin off me; the belt and chain is worse when we are in the family way.” –Betty