Industrial Revolution Essay

The Industrial Revolution of the 19th century saw the introduction of the factory system, which altered the traditional way of life in which people worked on their farms or in small workshops. People began to move to cities and factory towns in pursuit of a better life and future as a result of the expansion of industries. Many people who moved did so in the expectation that they would be able to support their families by earning more money. Many people were inspired and thrilled by the prospect of ushering in a new period. The 19th century can also be seen as the time when class differences became amplified in the sense that there was the emergence of the middle class and a rift was put between the rich and poor. The upper level is compromised factory owners while the lower class or the working class consisted of the poor factory workers. The believe that being part of the industrial revolution was something healthy and beneficial was soon followed by disillusionment as the workers soon realized that their new exciting life was not all that they thought and was expecting it to be.

Life in the 19th Century

Life in the 19th century was filled with numerous instances of violent class struggles, mobilization of the working class by socialist and communist. The working class was divided into three which are the working men or laborers who were the lowest, the middle class was the talented artisan, and the one who was above was called educated working man. Traditionally women used to work in the farms, but with the development of industrial revolution in the nineteenth century, they were forced to work which made the possibility of a stay at home wife next to impossible. The working class lived in terrible poverty where a whole family shared one or two rooms. Most of the cities were not ready for these big populations thus the buildings used for housing were very few (Col, Laura De p.236). There was a shortage of water, and there was only one public tap that was employed by the working class and their families. Because of the lack of water people avoided flushing toilets which forced many to use cesspits. The factories were usually very crowded, and no toilets were available for the workers. Workers were often subjected to harsh working conditions from low wages to the risk of getting sick or injured while on duty. During this period death and industrial injuries were on the rise yet the governments did not offer any assistance. There was also a huge demand for women and child labor in the factories.

Treatment of workers in factories, mills, and coal pits

Industrialization resulted in some few people benefiting from it, but the workers did not benefit from this process. The growth of industries led to the need for a large number of factory workers. The factory workers were always faced with long working hours, job instability, and poor working conditions which made them struggle to make ends meet. The working hours were as long as 12 to 16 hours with the minimum being 10 hours (Engels, Frederick p.151). Those men and women who used to farm found these conditions to be very challenging as they were used to the agricultural work being flexible with a variety of tasks. The skilled artisans also found it difficult because they were used to following their schedule but it was the opposite at the factories. Coal miners faced difficult working conditions where children were hired because their small hands could fit into the small openings to scrape coal from the mine walls. The children worked for 16 hours with poor ventilation and were faced with frequent cave-ins and yet they were paid less (Halsall, Paul p.135). Workers were usually subjected to work under pressure and even physical punishment which was meant to make the work faster. The machines being used by the employees were not designed for safety. As a result, there were many maiming and fatal accidents. Fines were also imposed for whistling, talking, and leaving the room without being allowed to leave. Some employers went as far as altering the time on the clocks so as to be able to find the workers for coming in late.

In families where there were extreme poverty women and children were forced to work in factories so as to help the family out. The women and children were not treated differently from the men. They were subjected to the same harsh working conditions that included long working hours and the constant risk of diseases affecting them because of the severe working environments. The working conditions of children made them contract cholera; they suffered from grazes, cuts, bruises on their elbows and thighs (RIIS, JACOB A p. 240). The home life suffered because the women had the burden of working at the factory and then domestic chores and child care. Most authors have debated on whether some women experienced improved quality of life because of their professional experience. Many of the women felt a sense of independence and pride through the earning of living. In a way their expertise in the factories made them develop real-world skills. It was even noted that some of the women experienced better living standards in the mill boarding houses.

The employees lived in unsanitary and shoddily built houses and often paid high rents for the sub-standard housing. Many of the toilets were of the earth closet as the sanitary arrangements did not exist. In the poor districts, the ground toilets were emptied and the solid waste heaped close to the houses, which led to the contamination water supplies as the liquid from the waste seeped into the earth. The juices that flowed into the land had disease causing germs that resulted in outbreaks of cholera, typhoid, typhus, influenza, and tuberculosis. Many of the people used to throw their household waste into the courtyard as forty houses used to share six toilets. Freshwater most of the time was scarce to come by as well as open air and sunlight. Most people ended up getting sick because of this unsanitary environment which was mainly dominated by outbreaks of typhoid, cholera and other diseases with many succumbing totems. For instance, in the year 1848-1849, an outbreak of cholera killed 14,137 people. The life expectancy of workers was very low because of the constant attacks by diseases (Robinson, Harriet p. 236).

The harsh working conditions that the workers were subjected to affected their health negatively. Those who were in the cotton companies were always attacked by pneumonia because the rooms they worked were not properly ventilated. The rooms were filled with dust which led to chest and lung diseases. Some of the workers also lost the hearing abilities because of the noise made by the machines. Smallpox also attacked people in the industrial cities even there was a vaccine that had been developed. Many people were ignorant of the vaccine against smallpox. With the low wages, many of the families could not afford to leave in proper and clean environments that would reduce the risks of contracting these diseases. The impact of sanitation on disease control was addressed by public health agencies, medical professionals, and private doctors in the late 1800s (Chadwick, Edwin p.153). Sanatoriums’ were built for the sick patients who were suffering from diseases such as tuberculosis. The sick were offered medical attention in free dispensaries and clinics that were opened by medical facilitators. With the care available there was reduced death especially from a disease like pneumonia and influenza.

In my point of view, the workers were treated in this harsh manner as a way of controlling them and ensuring that they remain below them. Workers did not have enough empowerment and help that could aid them in fighting for their rights. With the threat of being fired in case one became very demanding by asking for increased wages, short working hours, or better working conditions many of the workers went silent on the mistreatment they were undergoing. Workers in the nineteenth century had been prohibited from forming unions, and I believe without the collective effort of a union that brings people together a lone person could not have made the factory owners listen to them. The companies knew this weakness and took advantage of it knowing that if anyone proved to be problematic they would fire them and they replace that person immediately. The company owners gained and benefited from oppressing and mistreating its workers.

Today workers enjoy a lot of advantages that those in the 19th century wished they could have had. More unions have been formed that stand up for the rights of employees unlike in the past. I look at the world now, and I believe there has been a lot of progress and better living conditions that most of us take for granted. There is proper sanitation in our workplace and homes, and if the hygiene is not okay, a person can launch a complaint against their employer. We even have a sufficient and clean supply of water that is provided directly to our house, so we do not have to share one common outlet, even the sanitary conditions are way better, and people have their personal toilets. One similarity that is there of the 19th century is that many workers are still not being paid enough for the services that are rendered. To some degree, there is still oppression when it pertains to paying wages. People are still not getting value for the services that they perform, but the world has come a long way to ending discrimination and inequality. The living standards of the working class have significantly improved, and the economies enjoy continuous growth. There is more safety employed and implemented in factories nowadays, and workers have the correct safety gear for working. Nowadays accidents and diseases that are as a result of dangerous working conditions have significantly decreased and if one of them occurs compensation is usually offered to the victims. But these adverse effects should not be overlooked because our today world is the one that is enjoying the real benefits of industrial revolution.

Work cited

Chadwick, E. (2015). Report on Sanitary Conditions. Chadwick’s Report on Sanitary Conditions, 98-165.

Col, L. D. (2012). “The Life of the Industrial Worker in Nineteenth-Century England. Be a Hero: The Battle for Mercy and Social Justice , 220- 240.

Engels, F. (2014). The Condition of the Working-Class in England, 101- 156.

Halsall, P. (2014). Women Miners in the English Coal Pits. Modern History Sourcebook, 124-248.

RIIS, J. A. (2013). CHAPTER XX. THE WORKING GIRLS OF NEW YORK. . HOW THE OTHER HALF LIVES, 234-250.

Robinson, H. (2014). Lowell Mill Girls. Modern History Sourcebook, 201- 266.