What Are The Pros And Cons Of The Industrial Revolution
Industrial Revolution: Discussion
The Industrial Revolution was one of the most important periods of time in all of human history. It changed the way the world as we know it works by creating machines that replaced a lot of jobs, mostly in involving hard labour. One could argue that this was bad, as it not only put many people out of a job, and that it normalised the destruction of environment, but the benefits of the Industrial Revolution outweigh the cons.
'The Factory Acts' were one of the many benefits of the Industrial Revolution as they introduced rights for workers, especially children. During 1802 and 1819, Robert Peel worked hard to passing laws about restricting the hours that children had to work. Unfortunately, these laws were …show more content…
not put in place until 1830 when Lord Ashley succeeded in making it illegal for children under the age of ten to work at all, those aged under thirteen to work 48 hours per week, and those under eighteen; 69 hours. In addition to this, children were entitled to two hours of schooling per week. This may not seem like much, but prior to The Factory Acts, children were forced to carry up to 150 kilograms in dark, dangerous mines just to have a decent life. These few laws had a huge impact on the world as we know it, and led to trade unions and Friendly Societies.
Trade unions were formed by workers banding together to protect their interests.
It is debatable whether trade unions are a good thing, but at the time, they were crucial, as they led to rebellions for better working conditions, and Friendly Societies. Friendly Societies provided a small income during illness, old-age, or money for funeral when they died in return for a weekly fee. This led to the insurance we have today. A trade union's weapon against employers was the threat of employee's refusing to work, known as strikes. To prevent this, in 1799, the Combination Acts banned workers from meeting to demand higher wages and/or shorter working hours. If caught, the punishment was three months in jail. After 25 years of protest to this, trade unions were legalised, leading to the Grand National Consolidated Trades Union, established by Robert Owen, a mill-owner helped improve working qualities by allowing his workers sick pay and refusing to employ children.
In 1834, the British Parliament tried to handle the changing social conditions by reestablishing the 233-year-old Poor Law.
While the Industrial Revolution did have negative impacts on the world at the time, the long-term effects are mostly positive, and the world would be a much harder place to live in without
it.
The Industrial Revolution was one of the most important periods of time in all of human history. It changed the way the world as we know it works by creating machines that replaced a lot of jobs, mostly in involving hard labour. One could argue that this was bad, as it not only put many people out of a job, and that it normalised the destruction of environment, but the benefits of the Industrial Revolution outweigh the cons.
'The Factory Acts' were one of the many benefits of the Industrial Revolution as they introduced rights for workers, especially children. During 1802 and 1819, Robert Peel worked hard to passing laws about restricting the hours that children had to work. Unfortunately, these laws were …show more content…
not put in place until 1830 when Lord Ashley succeeded in making it illegal for children under the age of ten to work at all, those aged under thirteen to work 48 hours per week, and those under eighteen; 69 hours. In addition to this, children were entitled to two hours of schooling per week. This may not seem like much, but prior to The Factory Acts, children were forced to carry up to 150 kilograms in dark, dangerous mines just to have a decent life. These few laws had a huge impact on the world as we know it, and led to trade unions and Friendly Societies.
Trade unions were formed by workers banding together to protect their interests.
It is debatable whether trade unions are a good thing, but at the time, they were crucial, as they led to rebellions for better working conditions, and Friendly Societies. Friendly Societies provided a small income during illness, old-age, or money for funeral when they died in return for a weekly fee. This led to the insurance we have today. A trade union's weapon against employers was the threat of employee's refusing to work, known as strikes. To prevent this, in 1799, the Combination Acts banned workers from meeting to demand higher wages and/or shorter working hours. If caught, the punishment was three months in jail. After 25 years of protest to this, trade unions were legalised, leading to the Grand National Consolidated Trades Union, established by Robert Owen, a mill-owner helped improve working qualities by allowing his workers sick pay and refusing to employ children.
In 1834, the British Parliament tried to handle the changing social conditions by reestablishing the 233-year-old Poor Law.
While the Industrial Revolution did have negative impacts on the world at the time, the long-term effects are mostly positive, and the world would be a much harder place to live in without
it.