Industrial Revolution Essays (1605 words) - Industrial Revolution

Industrial Revolution Essays (1605 words) - Industrial Revolution Industrial Revolution A report concerning critical thinking and the Industrial Revolution. The 18th century brought about many changes to European countries. Advancements in science, technology and engineering brought about an improvement in living conditions to the widespread area. The improved living conditions induced an increase of population by the millions. From 1750-1800, the English population grew from 6 to 9 million and the French population grew from 19 to an enormous increase of 26 million. Stricter sanitation came about decreasing the amount of disease drastically. Food became cheaper because of increased purchases. Items that once considered luxuries became necessities. Sugar, chocolate, coffee, tea, and furs changed into household items instead of extravagances only the very wealthy could afford. Even the poor were able to afford new vegetables, such as potatoes and carrots, and cotton and linen clothing. The increase in population also brought about the demanding for the increase of goods. In order to meet the needs of the countries, vendors, store owners and merchants were forced into large scale production of their merchandise. The creation of factories came about by retailers struggling to meet the requirements of the masses surrounding them. The formation of power driven machinery was launched in order to compete with others. The machinery turned out products by the thousands or even millions depending on the needs of the country. The first factories were relatively small in scale, but there were also large employers who had a few thousand. The factory system destroyed the great majority of old hand trades because the desire for hand crafted materials was decreased due to the expense and the slow creation process. Some farmers abandoned their farming because of the changing conditions and began working at factories for low wages. The Industrial Revolution brought about a new way of distributing goods. It made production quicker, more efficient and cost effective. All people thought the advancements made created a better environment surrounding them, but the workers in the factories were frequently plagued by ailments received while working in dangerous conditions that came with the job. People may say that the Industrial Revolution was a great time in history where living conditions of all were better, but in actuality many became unhealthy because of unpleasant working conditions. In effect, the Revolution did more harm then it did help. School children were taught that they were to keep busy in their work because of the consequences facing them in the lines of a simple school hymn which say, ?In works of labour or of skill I would be busy too; For Satan finds some mischief for idle hands to do. (Isaac Watts, Divine and Moral Songs for Children 1869) This document very reliable not only because an author and date are provided, but because it is probably wide known throughout England since it is a hymn taught to the children of the middle class. Workers during the Industrial Revolution often felt overworked because of the long, stressful hours placed upon them by their employers. A Manchester spinner explains that they are ?locked up in factories eight stories high, (the worker) has no relaxation till the ponderous engine stops, and then they go home to get refreshed for the next day; no time for sweet association with their families; they are all alike fatigued and exhausted.? (Black Dwarf, 1818) This document highlights good points surrounding the overworking of the workers, but since there is no name, the reliability of the document is decreased greatly. There was a great deal of back breaking work that workers were forced to do during continuous and strenuous hours. This did not happen during the whole period of industrialization, but began when the introduction of machines such as the steam engine explains the spinner. They say that when steam engines were incorporated, ?workmen lost their power over their labor? implying that they needed now to keep up with the machine?s pace instead of their own. Not only did factory workers feel overworked, many other occupations felt the strain put on them by their unending hours. A miner in Germany also explains ?my forehead burns like fire... when it becomes unbearable I stop my slow, energyless working.? This document is highly unreliable because it lacks a citation of where it is from. It also lacks a specific date. We were given the timing of this excerpt to a vague time of ?early in the twentieth century.? Both documents display the objection to the long hours put in by workers , but they do have a reason to distort information in