The Industrial Revolution was a great change in society. It increased the material wealth of the Western world. Moreover, it expanded the number of jobs and restructured the social structure. However, it also had its negative side.
In the past, people used to work outdoors and produce goods at home. During the Industrial Revolution, people began using machines instead of raw manpower. They created new industries that offered opportunities for upward social mobility.
The market revolution improved the lives of both the working and the elite classes. Those who worked at the factory enjoyed finer foods, travel, and entertainment. Meanwhile, the newly wealthy business families reaped wealth from industrial growth.
As the demand for consumer goods increased, the first factories and workshops were formed. This led to the creation of a new industrial working class. Many of the workers had no skills or knowledge to do the work, but they could easily be replaced.
Those who were not skilled at the work they performed often had to live in dangerous, unhealthy, and unsanitary conditions. Some workers had to do repetitive factory work, which was very dangerous.
At the same time, children began to enter the work force. Children as young as six years old were paid very little. Moreover, they were often beaten to keep them awake.
By the end of the nineteenth century, cities improved and the quality of life for the average citizen improved. Nevertheless, the South remained largely unchanged.
