Industrialism

Reading about the Industrial Revolution and all the changes that came about during this time (both good and bad) are truly difficult to imagine. As Eric Hobsbawm said, "The most fundamental transformation of human life in the history of the world..." came about with the Industrial Revolution (487). While the world we live in today is constantly surrounded by change, during this period of time, industrial change was something new and with it came a sea of blessings and hardships.

One of the most interesting aspects of this time period is the extreme difference in the ways in which people viewed the effects on the Industrial Revolution. Some happily welcomed these huge changes, while others were appalled and disgusted. I think it would have been difficult for me to actually embrace the changes that came with the revolution if I knew from personal experience or by observation that life was beyond terrible for so many people.

The Industrial Revolution certainly brought about great increases in economic wealth; this is a fact that cannot be denied. As I have already stated, there were people all over Britain who believed that the revolution was characterized by positive changes. For example, actress Fanny Kemble raved about her experience on the steam locomotive: "I felt as if no fairy tale was ever half so wonderful as what I saw" (491). Clearly, Kemble is mesmerized by the swiftness and ease at which the newly created locomotive was able to travel. She had never seem anything like this before and she looked forward to the day that engineer George Stephenson would "make a famous engineer of me [Kemble]" (491). On her journey on the steam engine, Kemble could not help but try and compare the machine to riding a horse, as this was one of the quickest forms of travel that she knew before now: "The reins, bit, and bridle of this wonderful beast..." (491). While a horse is the only thing Kemble was able to compare to the steam engine, she is obviously amazed by the steam engine's power. She could not believe how quickly she was moving along. She is further amazed when she realizes that she is moving "...swifter than a bird flies..." and thinks that "this sensation of flying was quite delightful..." (491). Because of her positive experience on the locomotive, Kemble truly has a wonderful experience with one of the many aspects of the Industrial Revolution. She knows that being on the steam engine is like nothing she has ever experienced and thus positively reviews this modern invention. Like Kemble, Thomas Babington Macaulay was another revolution supporter. He claimed that the Industrial Revolution along with the discovery of all new machines was "evidence of social progress" (491). He encouraged the changes that came along with the revolution because he thought that they proved that people were on the whole making changes for a more positive future. People like Kemble and Macaulay supported the Industrial Revolution and focused on the positive aspects of the changes that it brought to British nation.

On the contrary, there are a multitude of negative responses to the Industrial Revolution and I cannot help but agree with them to a large extent. While the revolution did bring about new inventions that increased productivity and efficiency, it also brought about a wide variety of negative circumstances. Industrialism during this time led to a great deal of unemployment: "Large numbers of people found themselves without a job" (487). People who previously worked to produce goods such as weavers were replaced by machines in factories. These people were unable to compete with the machines and as a result were displaced in the working world. Another negative aspect of the Industrial Revolution was the poor working conditions for men, women, and children in factories: "...before legislation was passed to address some of the worst evils of the factory system, workers--including children--toiled for up to sixteen hours a day, six days a week, under inhuman conditions..." (487). Working in these kinds of conditions is unimaginable. It is devastating to me to think about these poor people, especially the children, who are working in ridiculous conditions just to stay alive. They were not taken care of by the factory owners; though these people "chose" to work in the factories, they really did not have another choice. It was either working in this kind of impoverished atmosphere or death in many cases. Directly related to the poor working conditions and the increased need for factory workers were the problems of growing slums and poverty in the city. Because people were forced to work for almost no money at all, the only places they had to live were in the slums: "The overcrowded conditions in the cities created urban slums of unimaginable wretchedness" (288). People had no where else to go and the city was not equipped to hold all the workers who moved into the area in order to find work. At times, multiple families lived "...in a single room" (488). Due to the close quarters that these poor people were forced to live, the spread of disease was almost unstoppable: "When typhoid and cholera broke out, epidemics spread rampantly among the inhabitants of these foul dens" (488). Because of the terrible living conditions, people were highly susceptible to catching these diseases and death was oftentimes the outcome. It is clear that under these circumstances, the Industrial Revolution was not all roses and smiles. Contrary to the positive aspects of the changes associated with the revolution, many people were forced to leave life as they once knew it behind in order to survive.

Because of the rancid working and living conditions, many authors voiced strong, negative opinions regarding the Industrial Revolution. Authors like Dickens, Disraeli, and Engels are examples of writers who felt it necessary to comment on the ways in which the revolution had devastated the middle class population of many large cities during this time. While I thought Dickens and Disraeli were insightful, I was moved most by Friedrick Engels. His writing was profound and I believe he captured the reality of this time in history in "The Condition of the Working Class in England in 1844." Engels was from Germany and came to England to observe cotton trade. On his trip, he "...was so appalled by his observations of the urban poor that he wrote an expose of their degradation..." (500). It is shameful to think that this man did not plan on writing anything at all in reaction to his visit, he was there rather to learn more about cotton trade; yet he was so moved by the negativity that came with the revolution, that he could not bear not to write about his opinions.

In "The Condition of the Working Class in England in 1844," Engels focuses on two main points. First, he describes the inhumane working/living conditions of the working class. He relates that at first, England seems to be a great nation of "...economic strength" and "...the commercial capitol of the world." I gather from this that he certainly did not expect poverty to exist the way that it did in England. Before he visited this nation, he admired the economic strength and stability that it had. However, Engels realizes that "it is only later that the traveller appreciates the human suffering which has made all this possible" (500). Engels clearly recognizes the infinite problems that exist withing this seemingly successful nation. In my opinion, Engels could have stopped his argument here and it would have made an impression. He further acknowledges all that the working class has given up in England in order to make it the success that it is at this time:

"It is only when he has visited the slums of this great city that it dawns upon him that the inhabitants of modern London have had to sacrifice so much that is best in human nature in order to create those wonders of civilisation with which their city teems" (500).

With this statement, Engels strengthens his argument against the poverty that he finds in England; it seems that he thinks the success of England is in vain. The people have given up far too much. He knows that without the devastation that exists in the urban areas of England, the industrial era would have failed. Yet he thinks that failure is better than where the Industrial Revolution has led this nation's people. To continue his argument against the revolution, the second point that he makes relays how forcing an industrial economy has manipulated and changed the way in which people interact with one another. Engels notices on his visit that these people seemingly have "...nothing in common" (502). While many of them are working and living under similar conditions, they act as if no one cares or relates to what they are experiencing. Engels believes that "the more that Londoners are packed into a tiny space, the more repulsive and disgraceful becomes the brutal indifference with which they ignore their neighbours and selfishly concentrate upon their private affairs" (502). It is interesting that while these people are going through what is probably the most difficult time in their lives, they are unable to count on each other for support and comfort. On the contrary, they continue to grow further apart as a nation and look more after themselves than anyone else. This new way of life leads them to attitudes of selfishness and greed. Additionally, the gap that exists between the poor and the rich gets larger: "The strongest of all, a tiny group of capitalists, monopolise everything, while the weakest, who are in the vast majority, succumb to the most abject poverty" (502). Engels, like myself, is truly appalled by what he finds in England on his visit. He cannot seem to understand why the relationships between people have dissipated and why communal responsibility has vanished; the Industrial Revolution and the new way of life that it brings seems to be the only likely cause for such changes in the attitudes of all men.

Looking at the Industrial Revolution as a whole, I cannot say that it brought more good than harm; that being said, I am not sure that such a revolution was unavoidable. Change is a fact of life...it happens whether you are ready for it or not. Unfortunately, England was not prepared for the upcoming changes that would result from the rise of the machine world. I do think that oftentimes change is good thing and that new inventions can make our lives easier and greater. However, there is always another aspect to consider when it comes to idea of change. A bigger question to perhaps ponder is when is too much change at one time a bad thing? I think that is part of the problem with 19th century England. The change that they experienced was dramatic and life changing for many. A whirlwind of advancement seemed to explode within a short period of time. Today, change usually occurs over the course of time and is implemented slowly; there are checks and balances in place to make sure that the best interest of the general public is considered. If the change that comes about is not working properly or seems to have a negative affect on people, it is reinvented or changed to meet the needs of the vast majority. I think if the capitalists of times past would have had the knowledge that we do today about the implementation of change, perhaps conditions for the working class and the poor would not have escalated to such a horrific height.