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Social Upheaval After Industrial Revolution - Essay

   

Added on  2021-04-17

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Running head: SOCIAL UPHEAVAL AFTER INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTIONSOCIAL UPHEAVAL AFTER INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTIONName of the student:Name of University:Author Note:

SOCIAL UPHEAVAL AFTER INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION1The industrial evolution in Britain has been perceived by the historians and theeconomics to be a turning point of the human history. This essay critically evaluates thesocial upheaval after the industrial revolution in Britain. By ending the supremacy ofagricultural outcomes in trade, the industrial revolution increased the material wealth in thewestern world. Therefore, it initiated the drastic change in the social life of not only ofEurope but also the entire world1. The regular life style and the work environment changedmaking the western world to be an urbanised civilisation. Radical schools of economy andphilosophy started to replace the traditional ideology of the western people. The essayconcludes with the fact that there was both bans and boons of the industrial revolution thatchanged the face of the economy, enhancing the living condition of people, creating scopesfor the working women to stand independently, but on the other hand created abyss of thenew working class, consisted of women and children. It was the violent change in the society where the factory owners directed them likeanimals forgetting all moral and ethical boundaries. The industrial revolution began in themiddle years of 1700s and continued till mid-1800s. The term ‘revolution’ has been used asno developments in the modern history affected the people all over the world more than theindustrial revolution in Britain2. This revolution increased the material wealth, extended thelife of human being and proved to be the most powerful force that changed the society1 Allen, Robert C. "The high wage economy and the industrial revolution: a restatement."TheEconomic History Review68.1 (2015): 1-22.2 Clapp, Brian William.An environmental history of Britain since the Industrial Revolution.Routledge, 2014.

SOCIAL UPHEAVAL AFTER INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION2completely. It altered the century old class structure of Europe, and organised thephilosophical and social worldview of western people. The society of pre-industrial Europe was static as well as dependant on the socialprivilege where the most powerful was the aristocratic class. They possessed the mills and thelands which used to transform the produced crops into materials3. Their power was mainlydue to their ownership of these materials which later processed into food. The lowest was thepeasant class whose life and time was invested in the production of agricultural wealth. Theyrepresented the most exploited class as their lives were dedicated to seasons and the directionof their landowners. These peasants were used in the lands for agricultural production andmills to produce the grains. The land owners used to impose taxes on these people which wasthe chief source of fund for construction roads, windmills, dams and canals in the town.The society was divided clearly. Above these peasants there were the highly skilledcraftsmen who enjoyed more power than the peasants. They had guilds which could controlthe standards, charges and wages. Then came the vibrant, both economically and politicallypowerful class of merchants. In the pre-industrial world, these merchants used to move goodsand services through existing economic system. However, after the revolution all of theseclasses changed and a new class emerged which was complete responsible of the success andprogress of the industrial revolution. These people had no better position of those of thepeasants but they lived under bitter condition in unhealthy atmosphere and exploited likeanimals. The industrial economy of the United Kingdom had new sets of rules as well as timeschedules for common labourers. The working environment moved indoors and the speed of3 Cunningham, Hugh.Leisure in the Industrial Revolution: C. 1780-c. 1880. Routledge, 2016.

SOCIAL UPHEAVAL AFTER INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION3their works changed drastically. The seasons were no longer applicable to the labourers’ timespent at jobs. Despite the fact that horse driven cars were replaced by machines, the situationof the new workers who had recently changed their expertise for the agriculture to industriallabour failed to cope up with the conditions made by new rules. An adult male was nowexpected to work for more than twelve hours a day all year long instead of seasonal break. Itwas a very tough transition for them. After the countries of Europe managed to handle the first wave of revolution, theystated to synthesise all types of impact originated from the industrial revolution. The majoreffect of the industrial revolution was the incorporation of child and women labour in theindustries. The industrial revolution transformed the structure of a traditional family as wellas its role4. Previously, one family used to work as one unit of production where the womenof the families used to nurture of their children in one hand and took part in grain production.The time of work and leisure was flexible as well as interwoven. The industrial revolutionchanged all these. As the male adults were forced to work under extreme conditions andearned money, the family structure was disturbed. The women found it difficult to managethe family economy hence participate in the factories as unskilled labourers. The industrial revolution created scopes for women to get new opportunities as wellas gain skills for earning but due to industrial revolutions they become more exposed tonewer dangers. As the country had no welfare programs for aiding the poor women, thesingle women had to work for surviving. In the initial stages of the industrial revolution, thefactories had greater number of women workers who were much and used to quit their jobs4 Duffy, Ian PH.Bankruptcy and insolvency in London during the industrial revolution. Vol.1. Routledge, 2017.

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