Overcrowding and Housing in Nineteenth-Century London
From 1801 to 1851, the population of London grew from under 1 million inhabitants to 2.25 million. This was due in large part to immigration, both from other countries and from the countryside of England. Hundreds of thousands of people were moving to the newly industrialized cities and towns to find work, having been squeezed off the land because of the enclosure of farms. There was also displacement of the working-class within the city of London because of a number of construction projects. There were street improvement schemes in which tenements were razed in order to widen the passages. The transformation of part of the city into a non-residential district devoted to finance and commerce destroyed whole neighborhoods. Finally, in 1820 the construction of the London Docks meant the destruction of 1,300 houses, followed in 1828 by the construction of St. Catherine's Dock resulting in the loss of a further 1,033 residences.
The question was how to house the much-needed laborers close enough to the factories were they worked. The demand for centrally located land meant very high rent. At the same time, the huge number of people competing for a limited number of industrial jobs drove the wage rate down. There was also the sticky question of the health of the workers. Gross overcrowding led to unsanitary conditions for the underclass. While there was some concern for the dignity and moral perseverance of the people living in squalor, the real dilemma was economic, keeping them well enough to work. There were also the problems of keeping crime in check and keeping the masses content so as to avoid a revolt.
Some Notes About the Problems of Overcrowding
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Private problems are troubles which negatively affect individuals and their immediate surroundings. When these troubles go beyond the personal environments of the individual and impact on the community, they become public issues (Bogue, 2009).
9 Daniel Pool, What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew: From Fox Hunting to Whist — the Facts of Daily Life in 19th Century England (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1993), 75.
The working class faced conditions in the factory that wealthier skill workers did not have deal with. These men were not in a comfortable financial situation at home, and could not find comfort in hazardous working conditions with the dangerous machines they had to operate. Workers were harmed daily and among these injured employees were children (Shi 62). Many of these children were as young as nine years old, and due to financial reasons their families sent them away to work in workshops, mines, and even in factories surrounded by dangerous machinery. Realistically, these children were doomed to working in a factory for their entire lives. They did not attended school and worked to help provide for their families. With no education, they would not be able to find a more prestigious job with higher pay. The waged for factory workers were low, but they were not always guaranteed. The Knights of Labor pushed for a federal law that would force employers to “pay employees weekly, in full, for labor performed during the preceding week” (Shi 62). These people were only working in harmful conditions to survive but were not guaranteed enough money to feed their families. Charity handouts did not necessarily help feed a poor family, but aimed to “... produce most beneficial results to [the] community” (Shi 60). This meant that the wealthy didn’t directly give citizens money, but
Mankiw and Swagel (2006) argue outsourcing is not as large a phenomenon as the media describes. Their research indicates outsourcing accounts for very little of job loss in the United States, nor has it made a distinct contribution to the slow rebound of the labor market. They go on to propose that increased overseas employment has actually contributed to higher employment in parent United States companies. They reported that while 30,000 jobs were lost per month in 2004, two million job changes per month were happening as well. They reference the Bureau of Labor Statistics when they report that in 2015 there are expected to be 3.4 million jobs outsourced, but 160 million jobs gained here in the United States. They also claim that there is a rise in net US income by 12-14 cents per dollar of outso...
Despite the important role Gypsies played in the nineteenth-century, they were not automatically accepted as equals in society. In fact, from the moment they set foot on European soil, the Gyspies were misunderstood and even feared. These feelings became manifest in prejudices, which led to discriminatory actions. At the same time, however, Victorian society found itself fascinated with these strange Gypsies. The gypsy motif in Jane Eyre reflects the ambiguous attitude of Victorian society toward Gypsies. The depiction of "the Gypsy" at Thornfield Hall and the characters' reactions to her are reflections of prejudices based on the Gypsies' skin color, way of life, and traditions, and are also reflections of discriminatory treatment the Gypsies suffered. Simultaneously, many of the descriptions of the Gypsy are also the product of a romanticized view of Gypsies, which manifests itself works of fiction by many other authors throughout the Victorian Era.
Both sides can agree that outsourcing can be desirable for a business do to the potential profit. It allows goods to be made cheaper, management to run smoother, and money to be made faster (Salanţă 270). Both sides can also agree, however, that U.S. jobs are lost as a result of outsourcing (Ahmed 192), as well as environmental damage being cause due to corporations taking advantage of loose environmental regulations (Marquis 39). Upon digging deeper into this debate, one can find that both sides present very convincing arguments.
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Since the concept of outsourcing was introduced it has been a subject of debate between politicians and citizens of the United States. Remarkably, it was the United States who supported outsourcing and now it is the United States that feels its economic progress is being threatened by outsourcing. One may argue that the financial situations that existed two decades earlier are not the same as they are today, thus the change of time, business priorities of economies have also changed.
These paragraph state the negatives of this revolution. One of the most important con of this time period is the effect of child labor. As Document 7 states: Large machines and rising demand for products quickly led to the growth of the factory system. The building of these factories led to hire massive numbers of child workers, the youngest at 11 to 12 years old. The owners of these factories had no incentive to look out for the child’s safety or health. The workers also followed a very strict schedule. All workers had to be at the same place in the same time allotted for them. If a worker was injured, he was easily replaced. Another negative was the working conditions. Working conditions were described as dangerous, dirty, unhealthy, polluted, dark, dim and drafty. These workers who worked very hard with their strong muscles in these horrible conditions were not valued. If they were hurt and could not work, they were simply replaced. This was also stated in Document 4, with the same thing happening to children. In conclusion, both adult and child workers were not valued equally and got treated like
Froma Harrop’s essay New Threat to Skilled U.S. Workers is a detailed and factual essay about the mystery of job-outsourcing. She also mentioned the long-term effects of the issue on our economy. Harrop’s audience for her essay leans towards skilled U.S. workers who are unaware that many jobs are moving overseas, but includes young college students as well. At the beginning of the essay Harrop immediately starts with an account from Alan Blinder, a Princeton economist. She describes his great displeasure after hearing how enthusiastic U.S. executives were while discussing job-outsourcing. Another pertinent piece of information included in Blinder’s account was his prediction that a great amount of jobs would be lost in the near future. “We speak of computer programing, book-keeping, graphic design and other careers once thought firmly planted in American soil” (Harrop 130) Harrop’s use of other sources helps give more credibility to the essay; however, it can decrease the complexity. Aft...
Weintraub, Daniel. “Outsourcing is Good for America…and California”. The Sacramento Bee. 13 July 2004. Google Search. 5 December 2004
Cities during the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century showed great increase in population in Britain and created terrible conditions for the poor working class and their families. These unbelievably harsh living conditions can be seen on image 1 and 3 where families are forced to live in an overcrowded and inadequate room. There was a very high demand of houses and many were constructed in terraced rows that can be seen in image 4. Some of these houses had just a small yard at the rear where an outside toilet was placed. Others were ‘back to back’ without yard as shown in image 2. The people who lived in cities needed cheap homes as the Industrial Revolution continued to grow.
Alghieri, Dante. "The Divine Comedy: Inferno." The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces: Expanded Edition In One Volume. Gen. Ed. Maynard Mack. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company, 1997. 1032-1036.
Among the followers of Christianity, questions arise in order to find the righteous path to Heaven’s gate. On the contrary, there are those who seek answers for what is forsaken. Dante Alighieri fully expresses himself on this dilemma in his written work, The Divine Comedy. The first part of the epic poem is Inferno; Dante defines and constructs Hell, based on the morals and judgments set by common beliefs during his time. Dante also uses Aristotle’s philosophical work to shape the structure of Hell. Undergoing a journey through Hell as himself, Dante places famous literary icons to assist in questioning the acts of justice. Dante builds and contrast between the sinners who are innocent, and those who deliberately perform evil deeds. Virgil, a fellow poet and pagan, exemplifies wisdom and clarity that which Dante must learn through his endeavor. Virgil’s guidance will provide contrast and the necessary guidance to reach Paradise. The change of character Dante experience, is dreadful; pity and remorse must be exempted to honor retribution for the sinners’ defiance against God. All the answers regarding Hell, lies upon meeting the primal sinner, Lucifer, the Fallen Angel. Dante’s journey unfolds a critical analysis in which portrays the human struggle in every individual. There are several implications of the four functions of myth that can be derived from Dante’s Inferno. Dante divides Hell into three dispositions: incontinence, malice and brutality. (Alighieri, Dante, and Longfellow 6.79-82)
Industrialization caused population migration from rural areas to urban areas. Cities expanded rapidly to provide homes for workers being employed in the factories. Workers faced harsh conditions everywhere. Living conditions were cramped, unsafe and unclean. Men, women and children labored long hours for minimal wages in dangerous conditions and no job security. The working class was financially and physically unprotected by the government as the middle and upper class grew wealthier and more powerful. (Riane Eisler (2007)).