DBQQuestion

:
WastheIndustrialRevolutionprimarilyatimeof
progressoratimeofproblems?

AnalyzethepositiveandnegativeeffectsoftheIndustrialRevolution,takingintoaccounttheeffectsondifferent
socialgroups(rural,urban,rich,poor,children,womenetc.).Usedocumentsandyourknowledgeoftheperiod
from17001880toconstructyourresponse.

Youneedtoincludeatleastonepieceof
outside
informationinyouressaytoextend
yourargument.Highlightyouroutsideinformationin
green.
OutsideinformationcancomefromActivelyLearnReadings,ManchesterCase
StudyDocuments,andorClasswikispaces.
Analysis
=Explaintheevidenceandwhyweshouldtrustthesource
Commentary
=Explainhowtheevidenceprovesyourargument

ThesisStatement
HighlightPink
OutsideEvidence
HighlightGreen
EvidenceFromIndustrialRevolutionDocuments
HighlightYellow
Analysis
HighlightOrange
Commentary
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TheIndustrialRevolutionwasaperiodoftimewheremachineswereusedtoincreasetherateof

producinggoods.Asaresult,thetechnologyimpactedthecountrysfutureandmadethembecometheway
theyaretoday.
AlthoughtheIndustrialRevolutionbroughtchangestotheeconomy,theworkingclasshad
beenaffectedinnegativeways.Workers,sufferedfromworkingstrenuousshifts.Theworkingclassalso
experiencedhugeblowstothelivingconditionsasthegapbetweenthesocialclasseswidened.

Workerswhichincludedchildrenofyoungages,wereforcedtoworkshiftsforunreasonable
amountsofmoneytheywerepaid.MichaelWard,adoctorwhoworkedintheManchesterhospitalrecalled,
WhenIwasasurgeoninthehospital,childreninjuredinaccidentswereveryoftenadmittedtothehospitals.
Manychildren'shandsandarmshadbeencaughtinthemachinery.Inmanyinstancesthemusclesandthe
skinisstrippeddowntothebone.Insomecasesafingerortwomightbelost.

Becauseoftheirinexperience
andyoungage,therewasanoverwhelmingamountofcasualtieswhichthedoctorwasabletowitnessfirst
handed.Duringthethirtyyearsofworkinginthehospital,Wardwasappalledbythegreatnumbersandthat
themajorityoftheoneswiththeinjuriesweresmallchildren.
Givinguptheireducationtosupporttheir
families,childrenwerefoundworkingthesamejobsasadultsbutwereonlypaidhalftheamount.These
typesofincidenceswerefoundtohavebroughtdrasticchangestothechildrenworkersandhadimpaired
thembothphysicallyandmentally,fortherestoftheirlives.
However,childrenwerenttheonlyworkers
whohadahardtimewiththeworkingconditions.AccordingtoFloraTristan,aFrenchsocialist,all
employeesworkinginthefactorieswereforcedtoworkstrenuousshiftsinaharmfulenvironment.

They
spendfromtwelvetofourteenhourseachdayshutupinlowceilingedroomswherewitheverybreathoffoul
airtheyabsorbfibersofcotton,woolorflax,orparticlesofcopper,leadoriron.(ManchesterCaseStudy)
Fromthepointofviewofaforeigner,Tristanwasabletowitnessthetruthoftheworkingconditionsand
howitchangedtheirlivingstyle.

Becauseworkingbecamethemainfocusforeveryone,thelivingconditionsworsenedandpeople

foundthemselvesbarelysurvivinginthepollutedenvironment.AlexisdeTocquevilledescribesthecity
furthermorebysaying,
Asortofblacksmokecoversthecity.Underthishalfdaylight300,000human
beingsareceaselessly(
withoutanybreak)
atwork.Thehomesofthepoorarescatteredhaphazard(
ina
messyway)
aroundthefactories.Fromthisfilthysewer,thewealthofEnglandflows.
Tocqueville,aFrench
aristocratwhovisitedin1835,gavehisimpressiontothoselivingoutsideofManchestertohelpunderstand
whatthecitywasactuallylike.
EdwinChadwickpublishes,
Diseasescausedoraggravatedbyatmospheric
impuritiesproducedbydecomposinganimalandvegetablesubstances,bydampandfilth,andcloseand
overcrowdeddwellings,prevailamongthelaboringclasses.Theannuallossoflifefromfilthandbad
ventilationisgreaterthanthelossfromdeathorwoundsinmodernwars.

Chadwicksawtheconsequences
ofanindustrializedcitythroughtheeyesofaprofessionalhealthreformer.Healsonoticedthepollutiononly
appearedintheworkingclassandwasthemainreasonwhythedeathratewassohigh.

Thegovernment
hadntimplementedmanypoliciestohelpkeepthecitycleanandpeoplewerentmindfultokeepthings
sanitary.Peopleweremorepassionateaboutmoneyandtheneedtolive,sobeingcleandidntseemvery
importanttothem.Asaresult,diseasesandsicknessesquicklyspreadthroughout,killingabigportionofthe
population.

TheIndustrialRevolutionwasknowntobeaperiodofeconomicprosperitywheninrealityit
widenedthespacebetweenthesocialclasses.
Ifhecannotfindwork,hecansteal,orhecangohungryand
thenthepolicewillseetoitthathewilldieofhungerinsuchawaythatdoesnotdisturbthelifeofthe
middleclasses.

FriedrichEngels,aradicalfromGermany,explainstherewereseveralpeoplestrugglingto
findajobinordertofeedthemselves.Inasocietywhereworkisthemostimportant,nothavingajobmeans
notbeingabletolive.

Butwhilethelivesoftheworkingclasswereinjeopardy,themiddleclasswasstill
abletothrivewithouthavingtoworryaboutthesocialclassunderthem.Whilethoseworkinginthe
manufacturesdidntevenhavethebarenecessitiestolive,themiddleclasswasntaffectedanddidnthappen
todoanythingaboutit.

Unlessyouhavevisitedthemanufacturingtownsandseentheworkersof
Manchester,youcannotappreciatethephysicalandmoraldegradationofthisclassofthepopulation.Most
workerslackclothing,bed,furniture,fuelwholesomefoodevenpotatoes!

InthewordsofFloraTristan,the
workingclasswastheperfectexampleofadegradingclass.TheFrenchsocialistandwomensrights
advocateusesManchesterasawayforotherstoseehowmuchtheworkingclasswassufferingevenwitha
jobatthefactories.
Thisseparatestheemployeesfromthoseinthemiddleclassandputsthescaleofthe
socialclassesintoperspective.

Accordingtovarioushistoriansandsources,theIndustrialRevolutionbroughtmorehardships
thanithadbenefittedthepeople.Theworkingclass,whichconstitutedalargeportionofthepopulationwas
impactedgreatlybytheharshshifts,environmentaldowngrades,andthelargegapthatmadeeachsocial
statusdifferfromeachother.Thecountryprosperedfromthetimeperiodbutthepeoplelivedinmisery.