These early ideas made it possible for the different views of the rich and working class to have their own set representation as needed when capitalism, or free market enterprise, and common wealth made its way into American economy. Free market enterprise was a way for the artisans, or skilled workers, to make money by producing and selling their products. As technology advanced and more inventions were being created there also came better, cheaper, and faster ways of producing mass amounts of the same products. Factories and new means of transportation made it possible for industrialization to make a rise and excel American economy. While business was great for the owners of these companies and those who could afford better living it was a completely different story for the factory workers and artisans.
The industrial revolution affected the average workers both positively and negatively. With the invention of new machinery and new methods of transportation, the industrial revolution provides people with jobs and dwelling. However the working class still lived in poor condition due to the dangerous in factories and the polluted environment in the slum. The positive effect of the industrial revolution is shown in document 4 and 8 which reminded people of the “comforts and conveniences” that the industrial revolution brought to them. The use of machinery and mass production provided people with better clothing, cheaper housing and living necessity.
The middle class believed that because they were the ones working and earning the country’s wealth, they were deserving of the vote. Indeed, there was growing respect for the so-called urban artisans and the skilled working class whose voices were only now beginning to be heard. As the population moved away from rural areas into towns and cities, the landowning aristocrats of those rural areas started to lose their power. With people living and working closer together and improved communication, ideas like democracy and liberalism increased dramatically in popularity. However despite all of these changes in attitudes Britain was still primarily ruled and governed by the upper and upper-middle-class aristocracy.
Many iron and steel factories were created to manufacture agricultural equipment as well as machine shops, textile and shoe factories (Francis et al., 133). A new managerial class was required to run these factories, and a labour force necessary to work in them. As a result, society was divided into three classes: an upper class of factory owners, a middle class of factory managers, and a lower class of labourers (Francis et al., 134). Factory owners were interested in growing and expanding their business and making money in the most efficient manner. They were not concerned with the conditions of the workplace or the needs of the workers (Francis et al., 134).
Families moved from rural areas to the newly industrialized cities to find work. Once there, things were not as great as they dreamed they would be. In order to survive, families had to have everyone in the household working. This led to the epidemic of child labor with children, as young as six years old, working in harsh conditions for long hours in factories or coal mines (Dunlop, 1912). Young children could be hired to do the same jobs as adults for much less pay and could often fit into places adults couldn't.
Working conditions were harsh for the American industrial worker in the 1800s. With the boom of the Second Industrial Revolution and the need to expand business to meet consumer demands, employment opportunities opened at a rapid rate. In order to maximize profits, however, workers were given very few luxuries. Most factories had deplorable working conditions and were unsafe. Many workers lost hearing from loud machinery, lost limbs in hazardous equipment, and even lost their life due to the apathy of factory owners.
INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL ISSUES IN THE HISTORY OF MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY Michelle Gilruth The Social Issue of Unions There are many social issues that have affected manufacturing over the years. Many of these issues led to the formation of unions. Before unions, unskilled workers did not fair well. They received half the pay of skilled workers like craftsmen, artisans, and mechanics. Many people moved to cities to work in industry and about 40 percent of those workers were low-wage earners.1 As industry grew, women, children, and poor immigrants found themselves the main targets for work in factories.
1] succinctly summarizes the de-skilling hypothesis for the Industrial Revolution: new technology brought about “a substitution of mechanical devices for human skills” and “inanimate power—in particular, steam—took the place of human and animal strength.” By several measures, ordinary factory workers were unskilled. Compared to workers in craft and professional occupations, factory workers earned lower wages. Also, factory jobs did not require formal education, training periods were brief, factory work was monotonous and factory workers lacked both social status and market power. Thus a wide body of evidence supports deskilling as a description of the change in the nature of the labor supply. But the de-skilling hypothesis is also about technology.
Early industrial revolution is using mechanized mass production to instead of hand-crafted works in the development of capitalism. In 1760s, it took place in Britain for the first time. In the middle 19th century, France, Germany, and the United States had completed Industrial revolution. It’s not only a revolution in production technology but also a revolution in the relationship of production. The main content of the following essay will show the reason American industrial revolution happen, three main important progress of American industrial revolution, the influence which caused by American Industrial revolution.
Disregarding the heavy social costs of the Industrial Revolution, its material benefits outweighed them. This thesis will be defended by analyzing the benefits of the division of labor, how discipline in the factories allowed for successful industries, and most importantly the future technological advancements to create more efficient machinery. “The greatest improvement in the productive powers of Labour…seem to have been the effects of the division of labour” (The Division of Labor, 132). The division of labor played a role in the increase in mass production of goods by allowing different tasks to be completed concurrently. With the creation of the assembly line as well as the division of power, many workers would be able to complete a certain tasks simultaneously, thus increasing the production rate of goods and calling for a more efficient way to produce goods.