The Industrial Revolution had social impacts on the masses. It raised the standard of living for many, particularly for the middle and upper classes. However, life for the poor and working classes worsened.
The middle and upper class had a good standard of living due to the profits made from the factories and machinery. The cost of living decreased due to mass productions resulting in decreased prices, which made goods more affordable for everyone.
The rich were educated and did not do any manual labor.
For the working class, quality of life worsened. The creation of factories, which provided job opportunities and better employment opportunities, led to many workers migrating from countries to cities (urbanization). This resulted in inadequate, overcrowded housing and polluted, unsanitary living conditions in which disease was rampant. Thus, less than 47% children lived past 5 years.
Caption: The migration of people into cities caused many problems such as inadequate housing and unsanitary conditions
Factories were built near water sources for energy and easy dumping of waste into water. However, houses were built nearby to minimize transportation time, which resulted in a spread of diseases as the water was contaminated and people breathed in toxic chemicals emitting from factories. In addition, homes lacked toilets and sewage systems.
Caption: Up to 100 houses had to share an outdoor pump to get their water and an outside toilet so many did not bathe nor care abut hygiene
Also, liquids from the toilets or piled waste often seeped into the ground and contaminated water supply. Thus diseases such as cholera and tuberculosis, ravaged through industrial towns, especially in poor working-class neighborhoods.In London 1848, 15,000 people died of cholera.
Caption: In London, 7000 people died of cholera in 1831-1832. Another 15,000 people died in London 1848.
Inadequate housing coupled with no building regulations, caused houses to be built close to each other. The poor lived in cellars, which were damp and moist and flooded when it rained.
Caption: Houses were shared between many families.
Therefore, the division between the rich and the poor grew, as wealth was concentrated between the rich.
The Industrial Revolution 