Changes During The Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution was a prolonged period during the late 18th through 19th centuries, which took place in England and the United States. During this time of industrialization, manual labor switched to the work of machinery. Along with this switch, urbanization became popular, making life more modern. Industrial cities grew, factories were constructed, and the lives of citizens changed significantly. The Industrial Revolution was a blessing to society because it brought new technological advancements, formed strong labor laws, and enhanced the little known ideals of medicine. Prior to the Industrial Revolution, most English people had little to no knowledge of technology, and mostly never expressed their ideas on the topic. Then, in

Here was where factories were built, tenements (small one-roomed apartments) were occupied, and where life was lived. A majority of the population in these cities was the working class, who were low class factory workers. In these factories, workers originally had poor conditions. However, the workers came together, fought for their rights, and created Factory Acts (Ellis, Esler 164). For example, the Factory Act of 1878 stated that no child under the age of ten was to work; instead, they were to receive an education (Bley). This Act was significant for its time because the Industrial Revolution showed the first instance of harsh child labor, but citizens were able to establish fair guidelines of work that prevented these abuses, along with other acts, all that would affect the future. This proves that the Industrial Revolution was a blessing to society because people started to demand their freedoms and usually received them, which was something history had never seen

Cities and factories were often dirty and had poor sanitation laws, so sickness was a constant battle. Epidemics of cholera, smallpox and tuberculosis all spread, wreaking havoc among the English citizens. Even though these sound like a curse to industrialization, every action has an equal opposite reaction. With Newton’s Third Law, it is easy to see that these diseases will have an equal beneficial reaction upon the cities, which they did. John Snow, a founder of modern epidemiology, found that an outbreak of cholera was linked to a water pump in a small industrial city (“John Snow (1813-1858)”). John snow enhanced the ideals of medicine because he used a technique of observation that was never before used, and that would become more and more popular in the future. Not only John Snow, but also other thinkers started utilizing their knowledge to heal and benefit others. In the mid-1800s, Robert Koch identified the bacterium that caused the tuberculosis outbreak. Joseph Lister discovered the concept of antiseptics and how sterilization can save lives, which later enhanced the surgical process (Ellis, Esler 173). These brilliant thinkers helped sanitize industrial cities, and helped save thousands of ordinary citizens. Prior to the Industrial Revolution, medicine was practiced, but knowledge of medical advancements rarely occurred throughout the world. When