The Industrial Revolution is one of the most significant events in human history and had a profound effect on many nations throughout the world. While the Industrial Revolution first began in Britain in the 18th century, and took place throughout the centuries that followed, its impacts can still be seen in our lives today. As an event, the Industrial Revolution had both positive and negative impacts for society.
WHAT LED TO THE NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION?
Although there are several positives to the Industrial Revolution there were also many negative elements, including: poor working conditions, poor living conditions, low wages, child labor, and pollution. One of the primary causes of the Industrial Revolution was the emergence of laissez-faire capitalism as an economic system. Laissez-faire capitalism is a highly individualistic ideology in which the government plays as little a role as possible in the economic decisions of a country. Historians often refer to the ideology of the Industrial Revolution as classical liberalism since it included the principles of laissez-faire capitalism while also still allowing basic individual rights. This political and economic climate created a situation in which wealthy factory and mine owners were able to exploit working-class people. As a result, this led to horrible working conditions for the people of the Industrial Revolution.
CHILD LABOR
One of the main negative impacts of the Industrial Revolution was the use of child labor. Child labor was a common feature of the Industrial Revolution with children as young as four working in dirty and dangerous conditions without protection from the government.
Child labor was especially common in the late 18th century, during the early years of the Industrial Revolution. At the time, industrial cities and towns grew dramatically due to the migration of farmers and their families who were looking for work in the newly developed factories and mines. The living conditions in the cities and towns were miserable and characterized by: overcrowding, poor sanitation, spread of diseases, and pollution. As well, workers were paid low wages that barely allowed them to afford the cost of living associated with their rent and food. As a result, many of these working-class families needed the extra income that their children earned while working.
WORKING CONDITIONS
One of the main features of the Industrial Revolution was the horrendous working conditions that people faced. At the time, industrial cities and towns grew dramatically due to the migration of farmers and their families who were looking for work in the newly developed factories and mines. These factories and mines were dangerous and unforgiving places to work in. The working conditions that working-class people faced were known to include: long hours of work (12-16 hour shifts), low wages that barely covered the cost of living, dangerous and dirty conditions and workplaces with little or no worker rights. To better understand the situation, its first important to understand the political ideology of the time, which historians refer to as classical liberalism. Classical liberalism is an ideology characterized by laissez-faire capitalism, which means that the government played as little a role in the economy as possible. As a result, there were little to no rules in place for workers in the Industrial Revolution, and the wealthy owners could act in any manner that they wanted. For example, the factories and mines were incredibly dangerous places with very few safeguards.
LIVING CONDITIONS
A common feature of industrial cities and towns was the construction of inexpensive and poorly built row housing, intended for working-class people. Wealthy factory owners and entrepreneurs constructed the homes for their workers but also used the homes as a means of making more profit. The homes were often referred to as back-to-back terraces because they were literally built side-by-side and connected to one another. The only part of the home that was not connected to another was the front. The homes were made with the cheapest materials available and lacked basic features such as windows and proper ventilation. As well, most of the homes were built without running water or sanitation. As a result, many people were unable to properly bathe and thus suffered from very poor hygiene.
PAY / WAGES
In general, industrial workers were paid very small amounts and struggled to survive. For example, adult men were paid around 10 shillings per week, while women were paid 5 shillings for the same work, and children were paid just 1 shilling. In comparison, families were usually charged 5 shillings per month for rent. This did not usually leave much left over for food, clothes and luxury items. As a result, they often struggled to cover their cost of living and had to also endure difficult living conditions. As well, workers often had their pay deducted for being late or for taking a break during their shift. The level of pay was so poor that many working-class families needed their children to work as well, in order to help cover the costs of the family.
POLLUTION
Pollution was one of the most recognizable aspects of industrial cities and towns. Not only were the streets and waterways heavily polluted with human waste and garbage, but the air was also heavily polluted. Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, wealthy businessmen established countless factories and mines throughout Britain. These factories produced large amounts of air pollution from the burning of coal. Coal was easily the most used fuel during the Industrial Revolution, since it was needed to power the newly developed steam engines. However, coal is also known as a heavy air pollutant since when it is burned it sends small particles into the air. As a result, the numerous factories in the city centers caused the air quality to be horrible and gave industrial cities and towns a characteristic ‘smog’ that seemed to hover over them.
