Living and Working Conditions During the Industrial Revolution
Living and Working Conditions During the Industrial Revolution
The initial stages of the Industrial Revolution had a substantial effect on the living and working conditions of workers. A large labor surplus led to very low wages, and extreme competition lowered the profit margins of industrialists. Factory and mine operators reacted to this by lowering the cost of operation, often leading to difficult, if not horrible, working conditions. Relief for workers finally came as a result of many factors: the growth of the labor movement, government regluation, the improved buying power that resulted from massive increases in worker productivity that had been enhanced by new technologies, and the realization by many employers that a humanely treated worker was more productive.
At the same time, the life of the middle class became more and more comfortable. New inventions and products encouraged new habits of consumerism. Travel became easier, and leisure activities became very popular. Health and diet improved, and new public health programs lessened the threat of epidemics. A new optimism grew, based on the idea that these improvements would continue as a result of the development of new technology.
Ashley's Mines-- testimony about working conditions in a mine in Industrial England
The Physical Condition of Workers -- a description of the effects of the work environment on industrial workers.
Child Labor-- first-person testimony about what child labor was like in the textile mills ofVictorian England.
British Public Health on the Victorian Web-- a complete site describing the disgusting health conditions of London during the Victorian age. A pretty interesting visit.
The living conditions of workers in Manchester c.1820--An interesting primary source document about the conditions facing the poor in the early 19th century. Pretty graphic stuff.
Urban Sanitation before the 20th Century-- urban sanitation before 1900 in Paris
The Role of Women-- changes in the roles of women and sexuality as a result of the Industrial Revolution