Industrial Manchester Dbq

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Throughout the nineteenth century, Manchester, England became one of the most industrialized cities in the world. Manchester became a leading textile manufacturing center after its first mechanized cotton mill in 1780. As a result of the tremendous industrial growth, Manchester’s population increased from 18,000 to over 300,000 from 1750 to 1851. Most of the city's population was made up of the working class and immigrants. Like many industrial cities in the nineteenth century, Manchester fell to many problems pertaining the lives and wellbeing of its inhabitants. Living conditions were dire, and workers were working long hours with minimal pay. It was not until the 1832 Reform Bill and the Hours of Labor and Factories Act in 1844 that conditions were able to improve and Manchester was able to prosper. Although the industrialization of Manchester was cardinal for the modernization of man, Manchester’s growth also raised many issues in society. Technological advancements, quality of everyday life, and poor working conditions became major issues raised by the growth of Manchester, and people reacted to these issues in both negative and positive ways. Manchester became a hub of technological advancements, causing both positive and negative effects on everyday life. As seen on the maps in Document 1, in the course of a hundred years, Manchester's size more than tripled. Canals and railroads were built and much more area was being developed. This would mean a much larger population working in factories and more people easily able to move to Manchester to work. While this would be good for factory production, it also meant overcrowding in the city. Thomas B. Macaulay, a liberal member of Parliament recalled in his essay “Southey’s Colloquies” in the 1830’s that conditions were much better in Manchester because of the effects of manufacturing. He said that because people
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