Did industrialisation and urbanisation up to the 1830's generally IMPROVE or
WORSEN living and working standards?
IMPROVE
There was an overall general raise in real
wages (purchasing power) of the workers
compared to those of pre-industrial
times in agriculture.
For example, from 1809 to 1826
although wages decreased by 10.6 %,
prices were reduced by 29.3%, thus
workers having more purchasing power
(with the same amount of salary they
could buy more)
The middle classes emerged, rising up to
represent approx. 25% of the population
by 1800. This included many successful
manufacturers, professionals such as
lawyers or doctors, and merchants. This
group saw a rise in their living standards
as they gained wealth, power and status
Associations such as the Friendly
societies helped skilled craftsmen who
were part of them to protect themselves
during times of sickness, old age (by
paying a subscription).
Landowners which remained in rural
areas controlled most of the political
economic and social activity of the area.
There were fewer of them but they were
richer as due to enclosure their farms
became more profitable and also
consumerism from industrial
production..
Some tenant farmers also remained in
good position.
Some businessmen such as David Dale
and later Robert Owen (his son in law)
taking this even further, tried to make
conditions for workers much better,
specially for children. In Dale´s New
WORSEN
Agricultural labourers left without land
were the lowest paid and they saw their
rents increase. They were so poor that
they often were forced to rely on parish
poor relief. Speenhamland system of
poor relief 1795 introduced
See notes on opposition to
industrialisation : luditties, skilled
craftsmen, loomweavers (harmed by
arkwrights power loom 1785) saw their
wages reduced as their jobs became
deskilled , and also many lost their jobs.
The increased wages for workers came
at a great cost, with very long working
hours (at least 12 hours a day but this
could reach up to 16 h and it was
unflexible), in cramped conditions in
factories designed for machines and not
people… Also, they wouldn’t be paid
during sickness or when injured, even if
this occurred in the workplace.
The yeoman class saw their wealth
decrease and fewer of them were left as
due to them having small plots of land,
they were damaged by enclosure, had
higher production costs for their output
(agricultural products), and had to sell
out to larger landowners which they
simply couldn’t compete against
Women were paid half of what men
were paid and along with children made
most of the workforce in cotton
factories. Like men they had no paid
sickness or injuries
Lanark Mills in Scotland in 1784 the
workforce was treated well to those days
standards’, many children which were
orphans were fed clothed and even
educated in return for their work, and
Owen later took this ideas further
encouraging other business owners to do
the same
In fact, by the end of the Industrial
Revolution, most children were educated
to literacy level ,(much better than
before)
Children first protected in 1839 in
Prussia, increased after 1871 with
German unification.
In France later, only from Third Republic
(1873) onwards started to protect
children and women.
In times of crisis living conditions could
become terrible such as for example
after the bad harvests of 1795 -1800 the
price of bread rose from only 2.70
pounds a quarter in 1790 to a peak of
6.30 pounds in 1812.
Also, war with France led to food
shortages, unemployment
IN FRANCE peasant proprietor class
emerged
Children were employed often in very
harsh conditions often from as young as
the age of six. At least 20% of workforce
were children as they were 10 times
cheaper than an adult male.
Rights were limited by law as trade
societies developed in Britain following
the events of the French Revolution 1789
as gov. became worried of possible
republican plotting. Corresponding
societies were closed down by the
Combination Acts 1799-1800 making
them illegal although in practice often
this wasn’t done as many magistrates
turned a blind eye to workers meetings if
these weren’t violent. Although parallel
act passed preventing businessmen from
uniting against workers, this also not
controlled
In FRANCE during French Revolutionary
and Napoleonic wars, high food prices
and great suffering- survived due to
charity
Everywhere more crowding and smaller
dwellings for large families to live in than
before (less space in cities than in
countryside due to more pop. Density).
IN Manchester from 1773 to 1851 pop.
From 36,000 to 300,000… poor
sanitation, drunkeneness crime, spread
of diseases such as cholera- epidemics in
France and Britain in 1831 . Affected
both rich an dpoor, even queen Victoria’s

Factory Acts in 1833 limited the number
of hours women and children could work
infactories
Voting rights for most working class men
by the end of the 19th century in Britain
France and Germany
husband Prince Albert probably died of
typhoid.
This however could also be seen as a
negative at least in the short term as
many families relied on women and
children working long hours for
subsistence.

By 1850 some opportunities previously

unthinkable of and accessible to lower
classes for leisure in cities

Railway act also came indirectly as a

result of industrialisation and it forced
ach railway company to carry 3 rd class
passengers at one penny per mile at least
once a day.