The Major Consequences of the Industrial Revolution
an Industrial revolution is a significant event in world history, which took shape after the agricultural revolution. It started in the eighteenth century in Britain and spread worldwide, impacting people’s lives to the present. This paper explores the industrial revolutions significant consequences such as capitalism, urbanization, labor unions, feminism movements, working-class exploitation, and technological advancements.
Laissez-faire Capitalism
This system of economy involves the governments less involvement in the country’s economic issues. The laissez-faire capitalism marks liberalism ideology in the industrial revolution basing on its principles and promotion of individualism. As the government played an insignificant role in the economic sphere, the political, economic environment resulted in poor working conditions in the mines and factories (Leijonhufvud, 1984). The government failed to protect workers who included children at a very tender age. Child labor arose as children worked with dangerous machinery for a more extended period, which violated their rights. In response to workers’, exploitation famous socialists such as Karl Max emerged with his Marxism ideology. In his book, Karl Max wrote during this capitalist period, argues against the poor working conditions that expose workers to danger. His argument focuses on an equal society with no social classes.
Another socialite Robert Owen was well known for his socialism was a factory in Scotland in the Industrial Revolution. His business operation entailed the proper treatment of employees and profit generation. For instance, he provided for healthcare services and primary education of the employees and ensured that they received better wages. Drawing from his good deeds implies that wealthy persons can still generate benefits while sharing the factory’s profits with the employees. The emergence of socialism and Marxism movements positively impacted society, resulting in different economic points of view (Leijonhufvud, 1984). For instance, the twentieth century exhibited ideological changes like modern liberalism, transforming society’s classical liberalism. On the other hand, laissez-faire capitalism ideology resulted in state welfare guidelines on economic issues. The economic spectrum is relevant in modern society.
Labor Unions
Labor unions are associations of individuals with a common interest, like working in a firm that competes for decent salaries and better working conditions. The existence of mines and factories in the industrial revolution era saw many people working tirelessly to earn a living. The wealthy factory owners took advantage of the employees’ need for wages and exploited them. Prevalence of individual centred ideologies like the laissez-faire capitalism centred revolution era encouraged exploitation practices. The government, on the other hand, placed very few regulations in aid of workers.
Lack of workers protection cover resulted in the emergence of different associations that advocated for the employees’ rights and life improvements. These associations yielded to the formation of labor unions that could overseer the working environment across all industrial firms and the remuneration aspect. Workers had the privilege of forming and joining unions that helped them fight for issues affecting them, such as salary increments, support in primary education, safety at work, reduction in working hours, and access to healthcare services. Through the unions, employees advocated for reforms and demanded laws and policies protecting their employment terms. For instance, child labor that had taken root in the industry sector. Labor unions play essential roles in today’s employment industry. Workers in the unions have followed suit and the associations to champion the same grievances. The industrial revolution laid a good foundation as these labor unions have realized a better working environment and improved modern social workers’ lives.
Feminist Movements
The industrial revolution impacted women by redefining their roles and value in society. Initially, society viewed women as domestic workers whose place belonged in the kitchen and all traditional duties like making clothes and repairing. The emergence of textile industries saw women abandon the traditional cloth-making and joining industries that encompassed mass production (Styles, 2016). This shift in role encouraged many women to enter the workforce in factories. Women did not receive an equal salary to men basing on the societal value they held before. For instance, in British companies, women received half the wages of their male counterparts.
Socialists’ values were gradually emerging as women felt that they were being discriminated yet the work performance was the same as the men’s. This situation led to protests as workers fought for equal rights during the industrial revolution. The complaint yielded to more protecting engagements of feminists movements in the period, which saw many women joining and holding meetings to strategize their campaigns for societal equality. The first and critical issue they prioritized in the campaigns was the right to vote. Women faced denial of voting rights during the eighteenth century, but the country gradually changed its view of women. During the nineteenth century, the government could allow women to vote, and the societal value of women had changed for the better. The present society has seen women fight for equal pay, equal representation in the government, and maternity rights, among other issues.
Urbanization
The industrial revolution, which existed as a result of the agricultural revolution, exhibits high food production. Farmers had managed gardens by planting various food crops. Introduction of factories and industries saw these farmers try to adventure and embrace new activities like working in mines. Through enclosure movements and economic balance, farmers and their families relocated to more populous areas for working purposes. These movements and resettlement resulted in industrial towns’ growth and development as the farmers searched for work in developing mines and industries. The number of people living on farms decreased while the city and town dwellers increased steadily. Increasing food production led to the expansion of the British population. Rural-urban migration in search of jobs also added to Britain’s rapid growth.
The population increase mainly consisting of the individuals working in factories and mines. There is a clear indication that these families stay in small rooms based on the population growth rate. The significant impact of these industrial cities living conditions resulted from the rural-urban migration and the increasing bulging population. Urbanization improved the middle class’s living standards and wealthy factory owners while the factory workers kept struggling. Despite some challenges, urbanization realized improvement in the economic spectrum. This improvement makes urbanization a vital feature in the industrial revolution. Urbanization remains critical today as the city and industrial town dwellers comprise the highest populations in the nations. For instance, a recent report indicates that the United States urban areas consisted of more people than rural areas.
Technological Advancements
Advancements in the industrial revolution have impacted the present-day lifestyle. Using the textile industry example indicates different inventions in the realization of today’s consumer preferences. Before the Industrial Revolution, the cottage industry, which is the modern textile industry, produced goods on a small scale. In the cottage industry era, families had goods like wool on a small scale for either family use or local community consumers. Lack of developed infrastructure could not allow long-distance trading. Other individuals had establishes small cottage industries which produced few products to the community due to lack of machinery and advanced skills.
The industrialization period through the textile industry contrasted the previous situation by providing a central place in the industry and mass production, which allowed business growth by serving more consumers (Styles, 2016). Several inventors like John Kay and Eli Whitney have worked in developing machines in the textile industry and applying varied techniques to improve production. Through these technological advancements, the industry realized an increase in production and trade enhancement proves the efficiency and effectiveness of modern technology. Energy demands resulted in the invention of electricity, which came along with electric appliances. The initial telegram advanced to the telephone, which resulted in mobile and internet technology. The the the the the the automobile and steam engine inventions have also impacted the transformation of current lifestyles creating efficiency in duty handling and convenience in the acquisition of our daily life activities.
The working-class exploitation
Many changes occurred through the introduction of factories where people sought employment to earn a living. The traditional life and practices that people enjoyed like weaving and the peaceful middle-class life slowly faded away. People wanted a simple life, such as working on home textiles, handling shops, tending to farm animals, and managing their gardens. These individuals now transitioned from being their boss to employment in factories. The industrial revolution had primarily shifted from agricultural practices and now centred on an industrialized society. The country factory workers were unaware of the industrialized city and town living conditions, with less government involvement in the financial world.
The wealthy factory owners possessed power while the working class in the factories had no means of protecting themselves (Mantoux, 2013). The worker’s hand skill abilities deteriorated with their continuing to work in factories, which affected their gardening aspects for food. The concentration industry working did not create time for recreation purposes. The wealthy factory owners exploited the workers exposing them to hazardous working machines and making them work long hours with low wages. Factory owners also sought to employ women and children after realizing that they would take half of the men’s pay. The poor living conditions suggested the kind of wages workers received. For instance, the characteristics of the factory workers’ industrialized residential areas included poor sanitation, overcrowding pollution, and even the existence of slums. The industrial revolution situation of the working class is relevant to the developing countries.
In conclusion, the industrial revolution resulted in significant consequences such as the emergence of socialists’ movements like Marxism, socialism, feminism, and labor unions. The Marxism and socialism forged towards condemning the exploitation acts of the wealthy factory owners and creating a society based on equality terms. The feminist movement strived to attain equal treatment between men and women. the Labor union movements had the primary goal of fighting for workers’ improved livelihood and better working conditions. Other significant consequences are urbanization, advanced technology, and workers working conditions. Urbanization plays a critical role in the transformation of people’s lives from agricultural life to urban societies. Advanced technology through inventions has proved to increase efficiency in workplaces. The factories’ working conditions exhibited exploitations and dealing with heavy machinery though unions the workers can collectively address their concerns. All these consequences are evident in daily life.
References
Mantoux, P. (2013). The industrial revolution in the eighteenth century: An outline of the beginnings of the modern factory system in England. Routledg
Styles, J. (2016). Fashion, textiles and the origins of industrial revolution. East Asian Journal of British History.
Leijonhufvud, A. (1984). Capitalism and the factory system (No. 184). Diskussionsbeiträge-Serie A.