18TH CENTURY INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

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Worker 's Perspective During the Industrial Revolution

The industrial revolution grew from very humble beginnings in Great Britain , where its first impact was felt in the area of cotton textile manufacture . During the 1770 's and 1780 's a burst of inventive genius revolutionized the textile industry . From hand operations on simple machines , such as spinning a single thread or weaving only one bolt

of cloth at a time , the industry progressed to multiple spindles and complicated looms (Bernal 1970 . As the machines grew larger and more complicated , they could no longer be run by human power . Instead they were run by water power . Ultimately , even water power became insufficient . The development of the steam engine by the end of the 1700 's had provided a solution to power problem by the 1800 's . Its application in the steam locomotive was to revolutionize transportation Areas rich in natural resources but has limited access to water transportation , the only economical method of transport before the railroad , gained new importance (Bernstein 1992 . When rail transportation was brought to those areas , they became centers of industrial activity

Why did the industrial revolution begin in Britain ? Britain had the advantage of being a united country with relatively stable internal political situation , free of internal customs duties and with well established banking and insurance facilities . In the 18th century Britain became the dominant international trading power , and many British merchants had accumulated large sums of capital (Bernal 1970 This made it possible for ambitious new schemes to be financed at very low rates of interest

Industrialization Outside Britain

Although Britain initiated the Industrial Revolution , other European nations , notably Belgium , were close behind . In France industrialization proceeded more slowly , but was still impressive . The second phase ' of the Industrial Revolution (from 1880 's onwards ) was dominated by electricity and by internal combustion engine . Superior expertise in these technologies resulted in Germany overtaking Britain as Europe 's leading industrial power . Government encouragement of a systematic programme of scientific and technical education also contributed to Germany 's success (Bernal 1970 . The USA enjoyed vast supplies of raw materials and a rapidly increasing population - supplemented by large scale immigration . The difficulties of developing an adequate transport system to cover vast distances held industrialization in check for a while . However , by the start of the 20th century the USA had become the world 's leading industrial power (Bernstein 1992

For Russia and Japan , industrialization during the later part of the 19th century was a result of deliberate government policy . In the 1850 's , both powers were largely agricultural societies dominated by ancient feudal systems , but by the start of the 20th century Japan had emerged as a serious industrial , military and economic rival to the world 's industrial giants . Russia 's industrialization was hampered by the countries vast size and poor communications , and even more so by the backwardness of a society still run as a feudal system , and by the inertia of the autocratic rule of the Tsars . A succession of foreign loans and internal reforms made it possible to increase production and build up a railway network , and in the early years of the 20th century state aid was used to encourage growth . However , the strain of war , in 1904-05 (against Japan ) and again in 1914-17 , caused the government 's final collapse . Industrialization continued following the Bolshevik Revolution , but under circumstances of extreme difficulty

Industrial Revolution and the Perspectives of Workers

The numerous effects of the Industrial Revolution were as important as the material effects . It was through industrialization that Western Europe was transformed from a rural to an urban civilization . Factories drew formerly rural peoples together to one spot for the purpose of production of manufactured goods . Men , women and children worked for long hours for a salary and labor abuses became prevalent . These abuses which include child labor , unsafe conditions , overwork and underpayment led to the growth of socialism in industrialized countries

Cities sprang up everywhere and grew in size by leaps and bounds Urbanization increased political awareness and activity among the masses , which , as rural peasants , had been traditionally isolated and disunited . The new industrial classes in Britain and France began to gradually undermine the power of the landed aristocracy (Bernstein 1992 . This was particularly true in Great Britain , the supreme industrial power of the world , where human labor became an important and valuable resource . In the perspective of a worker or a laborer , the industrial revolution paved way for a higher ' salary and involvement in their country 's development as a technology driven nation (Bernstein 1992

Women , as an example , had a change of perspective regarding their roles . During the industrial revolution , the role of women as a part of the work force and development activities were really not foreseen not until the industrial revolution came in . Overall , men and women were at the height of their careers during the revolution . Even though the lack of education burdens them , the possible employment of work is still available for them . The insufficient salary given by capitalists forced the labor market to accept women into different industrial units to work and to overwork in able to generate income for their families . The belief of the workers that they are making a nice pack of money everyday quickly diminished due to the poor working conditions that they suffer These conditions were also made worse by the entry of children as laborers in the factory . This was greatly observed in textile manufacturing places where a lot of child laborers were seen . This was the effect of the decisions of many poor families to just send their children to the factories to work . This scenario was not a big problem to the working class because just like them , everyone was expected to work and child labor was not a big issue at all

Workers , during the industrial revolution , also developed a clear distinction of being at work and being at home . Workers became sharp minded regarding the tasks directed to them and were very diligent Although the revolution paved way for dangerous working conditions hazards f spreading diseases , and a meager salary payment , this didn 't stop the working class to continue their jobs and to just hire a nanny for their children due to their busy schedules . After the height of the industrial revolution , the so called perspective ' of the general working class was greatly divided (Bernal 1970 . A growing discrimination between men and women regarding work was quickly noticed and felt by both parties most especially the women laborers . Men , during the post industrial revolution climax , were usually assigned to be on the supervisory level unlike the greater number of women who were merely workers in a factory (Bernstein 1992 . These differences continued and until today it is also very possible to observe these kinds of discriminations

As a conclusion to this , it can very well be said that the general perspective of the working class during the peak of the Industrial revolution was to work for a higher and stable income Peasants moved to the cities where the center of industrialization was and greatly benefited from the meager payments . Although the perspectives of workers vary from person to person , it can also be said that problems regarding the manipulation if employees and working condition where also included in their day to day lives

Work Cited

Bernstein , Vonard R , The Industrial Revolution and work in nineteenth-century Europe , New York , 1992

Bernal , Elcar V , Science and Industry in the Industrial Revolution Santa Rita : Xavier University Press , 1970

Polaeryt , Bairoch K , Economics and World History . MCC Publishing , 1993

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