Identify the issues raised by the growth of Manchester and analyze the various reactions to those issues over the course of the early nineteenth century.

Manchester

Document 1

Issue : Destituteness

During the industrial revolution , people from the countryside went to live in Manchester lured by the hopes of earning a lot of money by working in the cotton mills . Because of the movement of the people from the rural areas to Manchester , the place became overly crowded . Robert Southey pointed out that although the mills made the city wealthy , it resulted to worse living conditions for many people . The working class had to endure living in cramped places . Diseases also became predominant as a result

of the overcrowding and sanitary issues . Many died because of measles , smallpox , whooping cough and other illnesses

Reaction

At a time when mills offer the most number of jobs , people could not do much to change the system and the awful living conditions that they had to endure . They earn small wages in the mills while working for many hours . The cramped and dirty conditions had to be endured for the poor and landless had very limited skills that could be useful in other kind of work . There was , however , a group of people organized into a group Luddites who protested and sometimes sabotaged mills . They were against the industrialization because the machines took away jobs from many people

Document 2

Issue : People were enjoying better lives

In reaction to Southey 's declaration concerning the destitute state of Manchester 's working class , Member of Parliament Thomas B . Macaulay reacted by saying the opposite to what Southey observed . While it was true that the city became overcrowded and there were many diseases , it was also true that many people became better off in the long run

Reaction

Because it was true that factory conditions were unfavorable to its workers , there some who sought to better the lives of the workers and improve working conditions of the mills . One among the factory owners who made changes in the factories was Robert Owen , who rose to wealth from his humble beginnings . Having worked as a cotton mill worker at a young age , Owen knew the conditions at the mills . Because of his industry , Owen became a mill owner later in life and provided many opportunities for mill workers , like education for children and low-cost food for everyone

Document 3

Issue : Lower food prices

The Corn Laws prohibited free trade in Britain . While it was enforced the British producers could keep their high prices on goods , making it more difficult for the poor members of population to obtain food

Reaction

The people protested and went to the streets to show their discontent They were in a dangerously bad spirit that could result to a civil disturbance if the Corn Laws were not repealed

Document 4

Issue : Loss of vigor

The increase in Manchester 's wealth resulted to filth and loss of vigor among its people . But from this bleak picture were produced many things that contribute to the world 's civilized state . Manchester 's cotton did not only supply Britain but also the rest...