Social and Political Impacts of the Industrial Revolution

Why Did the Industrial Revolution cause a change to the social and political System?

The Industrial Revolution was a rapid economic change And it took place between 1780 and 1870 in Great Britain. It affect to the Social and political system in Britain as we are going to explain now:

European population started to grow from the 18th Century, but it intensified from the 19th century onwards. This demographic revolution was a consequence of the high birth rate (due to the better economic Perspectives made people marry younger) and a sharp decrease in the death rate (because they improved hygiene conditions, there were fewer diseases, and due To the improved of the agriculture they have better diets…)

Industrial society was no longer divided by birth, as Feudal society used to be. It was divided by classes and differences were Established depending on your economic position. Everybody was equal before the Law but inequality still existed, depending on sex or incomes.

Because of industrialization machines started to Appeared an everything changed. Skilled workers lost their jobs and salaries Fell as labour was very abundant. At first machines were blamed as the reason Of unemployment and many new machines were smashed in industrial towns. These Disturbances were known as the “Luddite riots”.

In 1799 and 1800, the British government made trade Unions illegal. By 1825 working conditions had improved slowly and trade unions Could legally exist but the working classes did not win the right to vote. Many Employers presented their workers with a document in which they had to promise Not join a union. If they refused they lost their jobs. All these events made Trade unionism appear, but the 1840s (also called “the hungry forties”) saw the Rise of another movement, Chartism. The Chartists wanted to obtain reforms in Parliament such as the right to vote for workers so that they could elect MPs (Members of Parliament) who would improve their conditions. They hoped that Parliament could be persuaded by peaceful means and in 1848 they managed to Collect six million signatures, but they were refused several times. By the 1850s and 1860s a great number of new unions had started.

To conclude, industrial revolution affects both social And political systems.  These were changing And evolution in a mode way rate in their aims and did not want radical changes Or revolution. Trying to obtain important reforms such as higher salaries, Reducing working hours, improving working conditions, unemployment benefits, Pensions, suppressing child labour, etc.