Several social and economical consequences arose from the Industrial Revolution. The two most significant social consequences were spawned from the huge creation of labor forces and factory manufacturing. These social changes paved the way for ideas such as communism and the creation of capitalism.
The Industrial Revolution featured the construction of machines and systems that allowed goods to be manufactured at a faster rate with lower cost. This in turn lowered the retail price for consumers, and made products more readily available to all. Since the majority of craftsmen could no longer compete with this type of production, they sought employment from the forever expanding companies. Those in rural areas moved to the cities to fulfill their employment needs, causing cities to expand rapidly and living conditions to become overcrowded and unsanitary. Building codes and regulations were not in place during this era allowing those who were poor to live in unspeakable conditions. Social living conditions for most factory workers were riddled with poverty, hunger and illness.
Working at a factory did not guarantee the necessary funds to support a family, nor did it provide for a safe working environment. Wages, labor laws and working conditions were not regulated at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. Often times all members in a family worked, including young children. Since families relied on the income of every family member, many children did not attend school, but instead were employed by factories. In part due to the Industrial Revolution the social family unit was changed during this time. Children helped support their families and did without education, play time and were put into dangerous situations in factories and worked long hours.
According to the author Lewis Hackett in his paper titled, Industrial Revolution, "The most important of the changes that brought about the Industrial Revolution were (1) the invention of machines to do the work of hand tools; (2) the use of steam, and later of other kinds of power, in place of the muscles of human beings and of animals; and (3) the adoption of the factory system."
These changes brought about by the Industrial Revolution helped pave the way for Capitalism. Factories were set up with the new found machinery that made production cheaper and faster. Primarily wealthy individuals could only afford to set up factory production and pay wages to its employees. Thereby helping to create the economic system of Capitalism. The advances made during the Industrial Revolution took the majority of production out of the hands of the general population. Funded factories and companies to made products and sold items. Since the factories were privately owned, owners also reaped the wealth from production and sells. With no minimum wages and safety controls in place, employees did not reap the benefits the owner or Capitalist was achieving.
The divide between the Capitalist and the typical population was great when it came to wealth and standard of living. The poor families worked hard and their monetary benefits were small. The business owners became wealthier and did not pass their newfound wealth down the line to employees. In this early stage of Capitalism it is easy to see the great social and economic divide between the wealthy owners and the poor workers. The poor workers felt this unfairness in regards to wages, long hours and unsafe conditions. They began to protest and these protest and unfairness led the way to the idea of Communism.
A Communism economic society differs from Capitalism in varying ways. Instead of private ownership of property, ownership is communal. Communism theory proposed that everyone was equal, and there should be no divides such as a rich class and a poor class of people. Unlike the Capitalist system, communal ownership proposed that everyone shared ownership and goods that were produced were also communal. This meant that there would be no rich owners, and no poor class doing without, because products would be shared among the population.
The Industrial Revolution is a landmark time in history. The technology created led to factories and mass production. Capitalism flourished and the wage earner was born. In the beginning due to the unfair conditions and the great number of poor people, Communism ideas were spread. The economic systems throughout the world were changed forever, and here in America the idea of property ownership, earning wages or running a business is the primary idea and force that supports and maintains families.
Sources:
Lewis Hackett, Industrial Revolution, History World International
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