Industrial Revolution

Essay by Xdeath5High School, 12th grade May 2004

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Since the nineteenth century, industrialization has had positive and negative effects on the lives of workers. Industrialization, in economics, is a condition marked by an increase in the importance of industry to an economy. The process of industrialization describes the transition from an agricultural society to one based on industry. During the process of industrialization, per capita income, rises and productivity levels increase. Modern industrialization is often dated as having its origins in the Industrial Revolution, which began in Great Britain in the 18th century and spread to other parts of Europe in the early 19th century.

Great Britain is among the world's major industrialized countries. When industrialization in Britain had started to occur people were first marveled by the inventions and the technology that came out of some people during this time. All of the technology that was produced during the industrial revolution was actually used to help people in some way or another.

People which had to sew clothes by hand now had the conveyor belt with its machined which mass produced the same exact clothing for cheaper prices and less work. For the business man the living conditions and the money increase improved greatly but for the average factory worker, the life style got a lot worse.

The average factory worker worked 14 to 16 hours a day bringing home almost nothing, just enough to feed his family and pay for the rent. The factory conditions were disgusting as mentioned by some people. Workers were crammed in their tiny spaces with no windows or proper ventilation, so on hot summer day everyone could smell what the worker next to him had for breakfast. The housing worsened as well, people were jammed up in families of five into tiny little spaces with rarely a window or proper...