Summary: The First Industrial Revolution

The primary documents about the first industrial revolution can be divided into two parts, one part about the horrors of factory work and one part about the changes made to resolve the working conditions for factory workers. According to the first part, the work in the factories caused the workers to have physical abnormalities such as bowing of the legs, gate abnormalities, short stature, and flat feet. The majority of the ailments came from working up to 71 hours a week doing physically demanding jobs with minimal breaks. However, eventually, legislation was passed to improve working conditions and consequently, physical deformities decreased along with the working hours. In the years after the legislation passed doctors no longer found high

In general, the factory owners seem to go too far in their desire for wealth. They were willing to put men, women, and children in physical danger in order to increase productivity and earn more money. If I were a factory owner, it would be difficult to see my workers in these conditions. I would want to improve things before the law had to get involved. It’s heartbreaking to think of children laboring so hard that they have gate abnormalities and other physical deformities along with a generally disheartened spirit which cannot be good for their overall mental health. That being said, I am also surprised that a change in hours had so much benefit. While clearly, some cutback in hours along with more breaks would allow for better mental and physical health, I am surprised to see that the crippling changed to such an extent that is described by the doctor’s observations in the courtyard around the factory. These pieces also make me glad that we have the legislation that we do in America today. While sometimes the laws seem silly or overkill, they are most defiantly put into place with the best intentions as lawmakers want to prevent harm to workers. So, while it is sad to see the type of working conditions these factory workers had, I am also glad that we can look back on the past and know how workers in modern times should be treated. I am thankful that I never had to work like this as a child because we can look back on the past and grow from the experiences that the children of the first industrial revolution