Industrial Revolution Part 2

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Class society: a growing middle class

During the Industrial Revolution a class society developed, where people's social status depended on the wealth, job and power. We divide this society in 3 classes:

The upper class: considered the richest businesspeople (factory owners, nobles)

The middle class: grew very quickly during the Industrial Revolution (merchants, lawyers, doctors, civil servants, farmers and small business owners)

The working class: they were wage labourers (factory workers, servants and agricultural labourers)

It was difficult to move between classes but not impossible: working class could reach high positions by earning money.

Not everyone in the same class have the same status

A GROWING MIDDLE CLASS

The growth of industry, banking, transport and trade led to a need for more managers, lawyers...

These middle class people were:

They were the new consumers (they had more money than they needed)

They had leisure time because they did not need to work long hours

They employed servants in their homes

They thought that educantion was very importants

In their free time they went to musical evenings at theatres. Many sports became popular (rugby, cricket and tennis)

They also took an annual holiday (to abroad or to seaside resorts)

Spa towns were also popular

Página 2

The working class

They moved from de countryside to cities during the Industrial Revolution because there were new jobs adn wages were higher. This led to rapid urbanisation.

Most of the people in this class lived in slums in extreme poverty and high rates of crime and alcoholism.

HOUSING

Most people lived in small terraced houses.

Several families lived in each houses and the outdoor toilets were shared between many houses.

Sewage was dumped in rivers or near houses

The contaminated water led to diseases like typhus and cholera

They used coal which created terrible pollution. This led to respiratory diseases

WORKING CONDITIONS

Specialisaton made it easier to replace workers

Working conditions were generally bad:

The working day lasted 12-14 hours

The work was often dangerous

Workers could be fined for talking

If they didn't go to work they were not paid and they could lose their jobs

Some factory owners provided good housing and schools for their workers because they belived that for this they will work harder

UNEMPLOYMENT

It was a big problem in cities.

Some people who came from the country side and they were unable to find jobs

Other lost their jobs when factories closed or when machines were introduced

There was no unemployment benefit so it often resulted in extreme poverty.

The government provided workhouses for people who had no money but they had to work the whole day.

Some poor people turned to crime or prostitution