Industrialization In The 18th And 19th Centuries
Abbey Martin
HST 106H
Dr. Katherine Hubler
April 17, 2015
Industrialization in the 18th and 19th Centuries Revolutions abounded worldwide in the late 18th and 19th centuries. From political independence to industrialization, it was a time of great change that would provide the building blocks for modern day society. Although political revolutions created independent nations and abolished slavery, it was the Industrial Revolution that truly shifted how society functioned. The Industrial Revolution had the greatest impact and influence on the world’s people during this period because it drastically changed the traditional family structure, complicated international relations, and improved the standard of living as a whole worldwide. Prior to the Industrial Revolution, men were the predominant members of the workforce with women and children leading a more internally focused lifestyle. However, this all changed when the Industrial Revolution began in Britain in 1750. With more factories meant more work, and with more work meant a greater need for unskilled laborers including women and children. Child labor became a common practice not only in Britain but also in the United States and China, which greatly reduced the amount of family togetherness as well as the educational instruction of young children in the home. In The Sadler Committee Report written in 1832, former child laborer Matthew Crabtree provides his account of the working and family conditions he lived under during the Industrial Revolution. After mentioning that his parents were unable to give him any instruction during the day, Crabtree goes on to talk about his home life. He says, “All that we did when we got home was to get the little bit of supper that was provided for us and go to bed immediately. If the supper had not been ready directly, we should have gone to sleep while it was preparing” (Rielly, 815). The Industrial Revolution fractured family togetherness, leading to this portrayal of a
HST 106H
Dr. Katherine Hubler
April 17, 2015
Industrialization in the 18th and 19th Centuries Revolutions abounded worldwide in the late 18th and 19th centuries. From political independence to industrialization, it was a time of great change that would provide the building blocks for modern day society. Although political revolutions created independent nations and abolished slavery, it was the Industrial Revolution that truly shifted how society functioned. The Industrial Revolution had the greatest impact and influence on the world’s people during this period because it drastically changed the traditional family structure, complicated international relations, and improved the standard of living as a whole worldwide. Prior to the Industrial Revolution, men were the predominant members of the workforce with women and children leading a more internally focused lifestyle. However, this all changed when the Industrial Revolution began in Britain in 1750. With more factories meant more work, and with more work meant a greater need for unskilled laborers including women and children. Child labor became a common practice not only in Britain but also in the United States and China, which greatly reduced the amount of family togetherness as well as the educational instruction of young children in the home. In The Sadler Committee Report written in 1832, former child laborer Matthew Crabtree provides his account of the working and family conditions he lived under during the Industrial Revolution. After mentioning that his parents were unable to give him any instruction during the day, Crabtree goes on to talk about his home life. He says, “All that we did when we got home was to get the little bit of supper that was provided for us and go to bed immediately. If the supper had not been ready directly, we should have gone to sleep while it was preparing” (Rielly, 815). The Industrial Revolution fractured family togetherness, leading to this portrayal of a