Concetti Chiave
- The Industrial Revolution was fueled by population growth due to the end of the plague and better land use.
- Society was divided into wage-payers and wage-earners, with a growing gap between the rich and the poor.
- England became a consumer society as wealth spread, leading to demographic shifts towards industrial regions.
- Women and children were preferred in factories for their lower wages and easier management.
- Industrial cities suffered from pollution, overcrowding, and poor public services, affecting workers' life expectancy.
Population Growth and Industrial Revolution
The disappearance of the plague and the more productive use of the land led to a population growth, which played an important role in creating the right conditions for the Industrial Revolution.
The nation came to be divided into two main classes: wage-payers and ware-earners. There wasn’t a clear difference between the aristocracy, the gentry and the middle class of merchants, but the difference between rich and poor increased. Wealth widespread in the country and England turned into a “consumer-society”. The population shifted from the agricultural and commercial areas of the south to the north and the midlands where the new factories were built near the coalfields which provided them with fuel. Small towns (mushrooms towns) were equipped to house the workers. Women and children were highly prized by employers because they could be paid less and were easier to control.
What were the Working and Living Conditions in Industrial Cities?
Industrial cities lacked elementary public services; the air and the water were polluted by smoke and filth and the houses were overcrowded. Industrial labor imposed new work patterns which were determined by the mechanized regularity of the machines and the rational division of labor. Discipline, routine and monotony marked the work of industrial laborers.
Finally, the life expectancy was well below twenty years.
Domande da interrogazione
- How did population growth contribute to the Industrial Revolution?
- What were the working and living conditions like in industrial cities during the Industrial Revolution?
The disappearance of the plague and more productive land use led to population growth, creating conditions favorable for the Industrial Revolution by providing a larger workforce and increasing demand for goods.
Industrial cities lacked basic public services, with polluted air and water, overcrowded housing, and monotonous work routines. Life expectancy was notably low, often below twenty years.
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