Industrial Revolution and the Working Class Essay Example

Although the Industrial Revolution was a working-class disaster, it is clear that the long-term benefits outway the short-term challenges. Society has seen a dramatic increase in equality and living conditions, which can be linked back to changes made during the Industrial Revolution. The Industrial Revolution was a time of innovation and new ideas were being thought of each day. Production became faster, cheaper and to a better level of conformity. With new ideas came new inventions to be put into the new factories. Hundreds of thousands of workers were employed to quickly fill the factories. The majority of factories were built in urban areas in order to transport goods and materials more effortlessly. Before long, urbanisation was in full swing and factories were packed with new workers, thus starting the beginning of the Industrial Revolution.  The Industrial Revolution spread rapidly across Britain, and then the world.

The Industrial Revolution was a terrible time to be a part of the working class. Every day, men, women and children had to work long gruelling hours in dangerous conditions which took a toll on their bodies. Children as young as three would be employed by factory owners, but the typical working-age was five to eleven years. Factory owners specifically employed women and children, as they were paid sparingly for their work, less than half the amount of men. This, however, had another negative. Women and children still worked the same hours as men, making their demand even higher. Estimates show that over 50% of the workers in some British factories in the early 1800s were under the age of 14, and around 57% of factory workers in the textile industry were women. Whether female, male or child, working conditions were some of the most severe in the Industrial Revolution. The lack of safety protocol meant that factories were often dangerous, cold, dimly lit, and prone to spreading illnesses and diseases. Factories were also dangerous for another reason, which was economics. Owners were under no regulations and did not have a financial reason to protect their workers. Workers endured some of the harshest working conditions in history, and the majority of people of the working class would often endure these conditions, every day, for their entire life. The few who made it out of factories were often still impacted by lifelong injuries or disabilities obtained while working in factories. The dangerous conditions often lead to shorter life spans, life-threatening injuries and diseases that could leave permanent damage to physical ability. Overall, the Industrial Revolution was a disaster for the working class, who endured harsh working conditions, unfair treatment and poor quality of life.

After the peak of the Industrial Revolution, things began to change. Every country experienced their own Industrial Revolution differently, and at different points in history. While some were quick to take on the new methods, others were hesitant, and some countries never experienced an Industrial Revolution. Scholars debate the exact start and end, but the period generally spanned from about 1760 to 1840. In 1833, conditions already began to improve for children, when the British Government passed the ‘Factory Act’. This act improved living conditions for children by introducing basic measures such as increasing the appropriate working age, limited working hours and two hours of schooling for children each day. While this was not an overnight solution, it was one of the first steps in achieving workers' rights. In the late stages of the Industrial Revolution, workers began to organise into unions to fight for better and safer working conditions. These unions used strikes to try to force employers to increase wages or make working conditions safer. The government also became involved. New regulations were imposed to shorten the work week and to make factories safer. These regulations were one of the first instances of workers' rights and helped to make society more equal.

An additional change that came after the peak of the Industrial Revolution was a healthier population. This can be seen with an increase in birth rates and a decrease in death rates in the decades following the Industrial Revolution. Life expectancy also improved, going from forty-two to forty-seven years old between 1850-1900. While the Industrial Revolution point was a huge turning point in population change, health was only destined to improve with the arrival of new technology and better access to health care. Sanitation was also greatly improved upon during and after the Industrial Revolution, leading diseases to become less transmissible. Better working conditions in factories meant that illnesses and diseases were less common, as were workplace injuries. Changes made after the peak of the Industrial Revolution were the first step in improving living conditions and making society more equal. 

Finally, the Industrial Revolution had many benefits. One of the major benefits was increased production. Before the Industrial Revolution, many products were built or made by hand. This required a specific time investment by the creator, so mass production was virtually impossible. The Industrial Revolution changed that. Factories allowed for groups of people to be more productive than one person on their own. Machine working also meant that production was more streamlined, which made products uniform and had fewer imperfections. This allowed for communities to improve their quality of living over time because there was greater access to goods and services. Another benefit of the Industrial Revolution was that it was a time of inspired innovation. The new industry provided the availability of great wealth.  A famous example of this is the wealth of Andrew Carnegie. During the industrial revolution, he developed his wealth working in the steel industry. Based on his wealth of over $300 billion in today’s value, he is one of the richest people to have ever lived. Because of the opportunities available to build wealth, many looked to create and innovate for their chance to take advantage of what the era offered. To summarise, the Industrial Revolution produced many benefits that have led to the society we live in today.

In conclusion, we can see that the short-term struggles of the working class have led to long-term benefits for the modern world. The Industrial Revolution was indeed a disaster for the working class. Workers were treated poorly, factory conditions were terrible and people of the working class had a scarce quality of life. Nevertheless, workers fought for their rights in the first workers' unions, in order to create a better future. Over time, laws were put in place to accommodate workers' rights. These laws have grown and improved over time which has helped to shape equality in our workforce today. Even though the Industrial Revolution produced harsh conditions it proved to have raised living standards in the 18th and 19th centuries due to an increase in wages, technological advancements, and an increase in life expectancy. Furthermore, the advancements in technology made during the Industrial Revolution have been some of the most important in history. Inventions such as the photograph, the locomotive and telegraph communication are all important inventions that have evolved into more complex versions we still use today. Without the Industrial Revolution, we would not be where we are today. Even with the challenges faced, it is evident that the era was necessary for human advancement.