How Did The Industrial Revolution Affect The Average Worker

The late-nineteenth-century Industrial Revolution, which lasted until the mid-nineteenth century, brought about significant changes in the way goods were produced and in the lives of the working class. Prior to the Industrial Revolution, the majority of people worked in agriculture or as artisans. But there was new technology that made farming much easier and faster, and farmers couldn't afford it while the wealthy could, forcing everyone to move to the city to work in factories to support their families. While the Industrial Revolution brought about advances in technology and increased productivity, it also had negative effects on the average worker. Some of the negative aspects of the Industrial Revolution for the average worker, included

Factories were often overcrowded, dirty, and dangerous, and workers were required to work long hours with little to no breaks. This led to a high incidence of workplace accidents and illnesses, and many workers were left with permanent injuries or disabilities as a result. For example, in William Cooper’s Testimony before the Sadler Committee in 1832, he said “Sadler: What were your usual hours of working? Cooper: We began at five in the morning and stopped at nine in the night. Sadler: What time did you have for meals? Cooper: We had just one period of forty minutes in the sixteen hours. That was at noon. Sadler: What means were taken to keep you awake and attentive? Cooper: At times we were frequently strapped.” This shows how they had very little time to rest and had to work double what the average worker works in a day and to keep them aware they were whipped this shows some of the bad conditions for the workers during this time period. Another example of bad working conditions is from the testimony of Joseph Hebergam to the Sadler Committee “Hebergam: I have damaged lungs. My leg muscles do not function properly and will not support the weight of my bones. Sadler: A doctor has told you that you will die within the year, is that correct? Hebergam: I have been so told. Sadler: Did he tell you the cause of your illness? Habergham: He told me that it was caused

Overcrowding and unsanitary living conditions resulted from the growth of factory towns and cities, as many workers were forced to live in cramped and poorly maintained housing. As a result, disease spread, and worker health deteriorated. An example of this from “The Conditions of the Working Class in England “written by Friedrich Engels after he visited an English industrial city in 1844 Says “The slums . . . are generally unplanned wildernesses of one- or two-storied houses. Wherever possible these have cellars which are also used as dwellings. The streets are usually unpaved, full of holes, filthy, and strewn with refuse. Since they have neither gutters nor drains, the refuse accumulates in stagnant, stinking puddles...One walks along a very rough path on the river bank to reach a chaotic group of little, one-story, one-room cabins. . . .In front of the doors, filth and garbage abounded. . . . ” This shows That the cities were very dirty and unsanitary and it's overpopulated and polluted. Another example that shows the horrible living conditions is from the "URBANIZATION AND LIVING CONDITIONS IN CITIES" section in the Effects of the Industrial Revolution Gallery Walk which says “Cities grew very rapidly during the Industrial Revolution and the result was crowded, unsanitary cities which bred disease.” This shows that the industrial revolution led to