The Pros And Cons Of The Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution was positive for the world but negative for those individuals/workers. The Industrial Revolution was a transition in Europe and the United States from 1760 through about 1840. It was a time of great growth in technologies and inventions. One way it was positive was that it improved travel, trade, money, and the production of items. One way it was negative was that people were overworked, underpaid, and worked in dangerous areas and worked with dangerous equipment. The Industrial Revolution had many positives at this time, especially in innovation that benefited the area. In this period of time, the invention and spread of railways opened up a new world for transportation. From 1840-1900 the length of the line open in Germany increased from 469 km to 51,678km. This shows that during this time, there was an exponential rise in railroads. “You can travel cheaply from place to place, and not only travel at less expense, but travel ten times quicker than two hundred years ago.” (The

Their working conditions were dangerous with long hours. “There were about a dozen who died during the two and a half years I was there. At the L________ Mill where I worked last, a boy was caught in a machine and both his thigh bones broke and from his knee to his hup the flesh was ripped up the same as if it had been cut by a knife. His hands were bruised, his eyes were nearly torn out and his arms were broken. The boy died.” (Joseph Hebergam testimony, 1832) This excerpt shows the harsh reality behind the great achievements made in this time. Children were working 15 hour days and operating dangerous machinery. And this shows what happened if something bad happened. Horrifying injuries that either permanently damaged someone or resulted in the death of the person. But even despite these circumstances, it did lead to a lot of great