My Essay
The Industrial Revolution: Blessing or Curse to the Working Man?:
The Industrial Revolution was a period of transition in European history, where innovative
changes concerning industrialization occurred. This era was characterized mainly by the
replacement of hand production by machine production, and the work force was concentrated
in factories. Numerous economic and social changes resulted, thus transforming the way of
life for many. In addition to the emergence of a commercial middle class, a proletariat
working class was also formed. European life evolved from agricultural farms to urban
cities. Was this movement a blessing for the advancement of society, or a curse on the
poorly represented workers? The only certainty that can be attained is that society
yearned for a new method of manufacturing that a series of innovation granted, leaving the
working class to endure the burdens which were accompanied with industrialization.
During the late eighteenth century, inventions
of machines and improvement of production was made possible within the textile and coal
mining industries. Inventions such as the fly shuttle, spinning jenny, cotton gin, and
most importantly, the steam engine, forever altered industry. The development of a factory
system slowly began to instill a new work ethic among the people. Employers now ignored
the integrity of their workers, and hired them simply to run machines. Adam Smith
popularized the factory system in his, Wealth of Nations, by analyzing the benefits of the
division of labor. His interpretation stated, "This great increase of the quantity of
work…the same number of people are capable of performing, is owing to three different
circumstances; first, of the increase of dexterity in every workman; secondly, to the
saving of the time which is commonly lost in passing from one species of work to another;
and lastly, to the invention of great number of machines which facilitate and abridge
labour, and enable one man to do the work of many…"(7).
Adam Smith clearly depicted the idealization of the factory system, and chose to ignore
the negative aspect it entailed.
The factory workers represented a class of
people who were dependent upon their job as their sole source of income. Their atrocious
working conditions produced a variety of horror stories. Also, their basic human rights
and dignity were cruelly exploited among the unsanitary and dangerous working conditions
forced upon them. For example, according to one medical observer's report about the
effects of textile work, "Their complexion is sallow and pallid…Their stature
low…Nearly all have flat feet…Spiritless and dejected air…giving the world
but little assurance of a man, or if so, most sadly cheated of his fair proportions."(1). Furthermore, child labor and the unfair treatment of women were
rampant among these surroundings. In one report on protective legislation for the cotton
worker, it was stated, "But the overworking does not apply to children only; the
adults are also overworked."(3). Surprisingly, many workers
blamed the invention of the steam engine as the cause for the increased need yet abuse of
human labor. The workers could not control the rate at which industrialization was
occurring, and demand had heightened more than ever.
Despite the obvious hardships factory life
offered, there were those who did not sympathize with the worker's conditions. The factory
owners had difficulty identifying with the issues faced by their employees. Supporters of
the factory system would rationalize their argument by saying, "Under the reign of
just laws, personal liberty and property have been secure; mercantile enterprise has been
allowed to reap its reward; capital has accumulated in safety; the workman has 'gone forth
to his work and to his labour until the evening;' and, thus protected and favoured, the
manufacturing prosperity of the country has struck its roots deep, and spread forth its
branches to the ends of the earth…"(6). If a factory
owner were questioned about impending conditions existing in his factory, obviously a
complete denial regarding the hideous conditions would occur. In his Philosophy of
Manufacturers, Andrew Ure defended factory conditions by his statement, "Ill-usage of
any kind is a very rare occurrence. I have visited many factories, and I never saw a
single instance of corporal chastisement inflicted on a child, nor indeed did I ever see
children in ill-humor….In an establishment for spinning or weaving cotton, all the
hard work is performed by the steam-engine, which leaves for the attendant no hard labor
at all."(8). Needless to say, compassion was not generously
shown toward the factory workers.
Debate exists concerning the benefits the
Industrial Revolution offered society. The working class was forced to endure the abuses
and the urban social problems that resulted. Whether or not the working man benefited, the
initial answer was probably no. Despite any dismissal against allegations, factory
conditions remained undeniably horrific. Luckily, conditions would improve as the century
progressed, as trade unions formed to raise social awareness, also improving working
conditions, wages, and hours. Despite an unequal distribution of power and benefits, the
Industrial Revolution's effects were far reaching, and characterized the beginnings of a
modern world.