preview

How Did The Industrial Revolution Affect Society

Decent Essays

The social changes brought on by the technologies of the industrial revolution still affect people today. With the building of factories, people had to move to where the work was and most work was in cities. Previously most people had lived in rural communities but that changed between 1700 and 1850 as the percentage of the population living in cities grew from 17% to 50% and the influx of so many people to an urban area brought many challenges. The governments had to start planning their cities and adding infrastructure such as improved roadways, sidewalks, that were later lit by streetlamps, and proper sewers to ensure safety and health for all citizens. There was also the addition of suburbs to the outskirts of the cities and parks incorporated to allow escape from the urbanisation.
As more and more infrastructure was built to keep up with the population growth and the need to link more towns together, steel became a very important material. The Bessemer process, invented in 1856, was the first way to mass-produce steel and allowed its production to soar “from 49,000 tons annually in 1850 to 1.44 million tons by 1880.” Wood was replaced by the now inexpensive steel that was …show more content…

Bankers, merchants, and industrialists became the leaders of the industrial revolution building up big businesses. Many others started small family businesses with the main goal of improving their position in society and leaving financial security for their heirs after their death. These people worked hard to make a better living for their family and most of them were industrialists who had created an invention or opened a factory. The accumulation of wealth these people gained through the industrial revolution would have never been otherwise possible and the extra money earned was used to start philanthropic organisations to help those still

Get Access