The Varying Consequences Of The Industrial Revolution

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The Industrial Revolution first began in Great Britain in the 18th century and progressed to the United States in the early 19th century (Industrialrevolutionresearch.com, 2015). Objectively to raise people’s standard of living, this transition to new industrialised processes changed population distribution, working conditions and the development of labour systems. The revolution was provoked by the development of the spinning jenny and steam engine; both machines manufactured in Europe.
To begin with, the process of urbanisation in the industrial revolution was vastly rapid and it resulted with conflicting consequences. The migration from the countryside to the industrialised cities was to find jobs that were more efficient in terms of pays …show more content…

As factories were being built, businesses were in need of workers. As people were willing to work as long as they got some pay, employers could set wages as low as they wanted. Unskilled workers earned approximately 10 cents per hour and skilled workers earned a little more while women and children received even less (The Industrial Revolution, 2015). Factories were not the best place to work as they ran for profit. No forms of safety guards were present henceforth there were no safety regulations or protection. The industrial revolution made the workplace much more impersonal and took away the independence of workers it employed. Also, many workers had long lasting lung health effects such as lung disease, and for children, stunted growth. These negative results reasons why working condition is a significant effect of the Industrial …show more content…

The deplorable working conditions in early industrial Europe led to a quest for a change. These trade unions attempted to limit the number of people who could enter into their trade and negotiate benefits from employers. However, working conditions were not going to evolve as labour had no leverage and this was largely due to unprecedented immigration. Despite difficult circumstances, there was an increasing number of people willing to work for poverty wages. Fortunately, towards the end of the revolution, the laws developed to set minimum wage standards, and maximum hours at work, etc. and there developments were successful with pressure from the labour unions. Because it changed the society’s labour condition, this union was a remarkable effect of the Industrial