Life During The Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution is responsible for the way we live our lives today. During the Industrial Revolution, cities all throughout the world underwent dramatic changes. While industrialization brought about an improved standard of living, a variety of manufactured goods and better transportation of goods, it also resulted in often appalling living and working conditions for the poor and working classes. From the start, industrialization allowed populations to turn from being rural areas to mostly urban living. In England, this involved millions of people migrating from their rural farms to moving to be near the coal and iron fields where all of the new factories were being built. Urbanization as it’s called, caused a sudden significant
It was the first wave of modern technology. As Kubesh states in her book, “Before the invention of machines, nature was our only source of power. We used animals to pull carts, wind and water to make things go, and people to produce goods." (101). Electricity was invented and ceased the need for wind and water to power machines. The telegraph allowed people to communicate across the world faster. Steamboats helped people move their finished goods across cities thorough rivers and even across oceans. The invention and subsequent expansion of railroads also allowed people to sell their goods to more people across large areas of
Social classes were not only classified as rich and poor, but now included a middle class. The style of living for everyone changed since the style of work had changed as well. Working class families included lower and middle class families. In middle class families, men went to work while women stayed home with the children. In lower class, or poor families, everyone worked, including children. Rich families owned the factories that the other classes were working in. The Industrial Revolution founded the working class system that society still practices