Effects Of Urbanization In Great Britain

In the 1800s, Great Britain undergone many dramatic changes. Throughout the century, cities grew larger and were more populated, goods were produced much faster, and many new job opportunities came about. These changes were caused by urbanization and industrialization. Urbanization is when the populations of rural areas shift to cities and other urban areas, while industrialization is using machinery and technology rather than people to create goods at a faster pace. Both positive and negative effects came out of industrialization and urbanization.

In document 1, it is clearly stated that the populations had expanded between 1801 and 1891. Industrialization and urbanization caused the cities of Great Britain to grow in size and become more heavily populated. Since machinery was being used to produce the majority of goods, more people were needed

People were coming from rural areas to cities in search for work, causing the population of cities to increase. Due to the population increase, cities became too crowded and overpopulated with the working class. Their workplaces and housing developments were very unsanitary. The population increase led to sewage systems to overflow and wastes to quickly accumulate in the city. People were often crowded together in three to four room houses due to the very small area, and there was simply not enough room for everyone. Working in factories allowed individuals to earn the bare minimum amount of money they need to buy food for their families, so those people basically lived a life of poverty. Due to the insufficient amount of money present at the time, roads and streets were either left unpaved or in poor condition with holes and cracks [document 2]. Being in a city with multiple factories very close to each other, pollution was bound to occur. Smoke from chimneys coated the brick houses making them appear black, stripping the city of whatever beauty was