Machines, are they helpful or too much trouble?

Essay by Frank ChenHigh School, 10th gradeF, September 1996

download word file, 2 pages 4.8

Machines, are they helpful or too much trouble?

The historiography and various phases of the Industrial Revolution were very important. Population increase and the expansion of capital, credit and commerce were one of the phases. The role of entrepreneurs, workers and inventions in boosting production were another phase. Textiles, coal, transport and public services started becoming of value to people. The social consequences included women and children working in factories and mines. Hard living conditions, crowded rooms, and many diseases.

There were many positive effects, new inventions, that helped made living comfortable, and saved many lives. A vaccination was created saving many lives, telephones helped people to communicate, light bulbs gave light at night and when rain was falling. As people needed employment, they traveled to London to find work, which caused the population to increase. Developers built multi story building(apartments), and row houses making streets less crowded, and gave the people a newfound wealth and security.

Steam engines made it easy to transport goods, the cotton gin made it easier to clean cotton, and made more money. Then technical schools began to develop, helping young people finish grammar school. Women also started working, they were very obedient and men started giving them more respect.

Along with positive, were also negative. Most people worked twelve to fourteen hours a day, six days a week, they had to pay constant attention to the machines and risked losing limbs in the machines. Child labor was another problem, they usually worked from 6 am to 7 p.m., getting paid only 10 percent wages of men to children. They would be severely beaten, and usually was deformed from machines. Many working-class children were not able to attend schools, because they couldn't afford clothes. Women usually spent long hours away from home and were...