My Reflection.
BLOG TOPIC 3

Did the Industrial Revolution affect the way people lived and worked in the 19th century for the better or the worst?
Explain your answer by providing examples.

There were arguments about the effect of Industrial Revolution which affected the lives of people in the 19th Century.

During the revolution time, machines were located in factories, therfore, workers began to work in factories instead of at home. This allowed the Europeans to produce goods cheaply in great quantities and at a faster rate. Raw materials such as rubber, tin, cotton silk and wood were needed to manufacture goods. The Europeans also needed new markets outside their own countries to sell their goods. So, they began to look to the East for raw materials and markets for their goods. One place they turned to was Asia. This meant that there would be more jobs offered as a lot of work needs to be done and that goods could be bought at cheaper prices which considerably benefited those who were financially struggling.

At the same time,railway trains and steamships were invented following the discovery of the steam-engine. People could travel longer distances in a shorter period of time to look for markets and raw materials. This made travelling easier and the people's lives easier.

However, there were also negative impact of the Industrial Revolution on the way people lived and worked in the 19th century. Some of the examples are that the jobs at factories were dangerous. There were no safety devices, if one is not careful when handling with the machines, one may lose his or her life. Not only that, the working conditions were often unsanitary, meaning dirty. Gases and smoke emitted by the factories cause pollution to the environment which harmed the people’s health living in the 19th century.

Due to many jobs offered, many children were pulled in to join the work force to make ends meet. Children were forced to work 16 hours a day under terrible conditions. They are paid ridiculous wages of around 1 shillings per week. There were limited opportunities for education for the children at that time. Thus education suffered due to the demand of work. To solve these problems mentioned, the government and politicians to prevent youths under the age of 18 working for long hours and working at night had introduced laws.

Besides children, women also suffered. They were faced with the double burden of factory work followed by domestic chores and child care.

The poor also faced the danger of contracting diseases as they lived in very small house in cramped streets. They shared toilet facilities and were at risk of damp. Diseases were spreading through contaminated water supply and many people had died after drinking the water.

As many people were working, there was growth of material wealth. People spent more and more money on unnecessities, wasting their hard-earned money.In conclusion, there are two different types of views to Industrial Revolution.

It had brought happiness, life opportunities and improvements but at the same time, it also caused health problems and family sacrifices from the people. They had also brought static and often cruel to the society.