Effects of Industrial Revolution
The industrial revolution is attributed to have brought with it new social classes, increased population and urbanization. Germany and England recorded an increased population growth of 1% annually while the Unites States population increased with more than 3%.
This might have ended up in a disastrous manner if it were not for the fact the continent was practically empty and endowed with great natural resources. France is the only country that remained static after the 18th century. The industrial revolution brought with it numerous effects some of which are as highlighted below:
Living conditions
During the revolution, workers started migrating from rural areas to the cities together with their families and this transformed their lives in a permanent manner. For majority of the skilled workers life quality decreased during the first sixty years of the revolution. Before the revolution, they lived as middle classes tending to their gardens and working in textiles within their homes, raising farm animals or in small shops.
After the revolution however, the living conditions deteriorated significantly and they no longer had tome to tend to
their own gardens or live at a pace that appealed to them. Those in the working class also had little opportunity or time for recreation as they spent the entire day working and when they finally got back home, they would have little energy to indulge in social activities.
Urbanization
Before the revolution, a large percentage of the population was rural. However, by the mid 19th century, half of the English population moved to cities and towards the end of that century, the same was also witnessed in most of the European countries.
New working class creation
It is also because of the industrial revolution that there was creation of a new class of working people. This class was comprised of men, children and men who labored in textile mills, mines and pottery works. Within no time, skilled artisans were degraded to process laborers and replaced by machines that were used for mass production of good initially made by hands. At the same time, the wages were low, working conditions unsafe and horrid while the working hours were long. The young children were employed as piercers and scavengers.
Working conditions
During the industrial revolution, the working class who comprised 80 percent of the society had no or little bargaining power with employers. In Great Britain, the population was increasing and landowners enclosing some of the common village lands. This caused people to move to the cities in search of work in the new factories resulting to high cases of unemployment. Life for those who worked in factories was quite a challenge and safety was not guaranteed.
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