Growth of the City of Manchester, England

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Manchester DBQ
During the nineteenth century, Manchester, England became an increasingly industrialized city, and its population rose considerably. Although the industrialization of Manchester was extremely successful for the modernization of society, Manchester’s growth also raised many problems in society. Many different problems arose due to the industrialization of Manchester; however the conditions of the industrialization were viewed differently by different people. Some people wrote and spoke positively of the effects of industrialization, mostly in reference to the improvement of working conditions, and medicine, others wrote about social issues emphasizing the degradation of civilization, some wrote about the health problems that accompanied the population growth and industrialization, including decreased length of life, and increased malnutrition. There were many different reactions to the effects that accompanied the growth of Manchester due to factors such as increased population density, and decreased air quality, most people wrote about the effects of Manchester’s growth negatively largely because of the decrease in quality of life, however there were some people who wrote positively of the changes, these were mostly people who would gain from saying good things about Manchester’s growth.
Some people conveyed the idea that the effects of the growth of Manchester were positive. Thomas B. Macaulay, a liberal Member of Parliament said that “people live longer” and he attributed the longer life to people being fed, clothed, and lodged(doc. 3). Macaulay also said that the improvements were “owing to the national increase in wealth which the manufacturing system has produced” (doc3). He also compared a cottage to a factor...

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...measures, so it is possible that he could have compared some of the outliers with high life expectancy to Manchester to make its condition seem worse, and in turn, support health measures in Manchester. People who wrote about the health issues of Manchester during the 19th century were most likely not very biased in writing about the degradation of the human condition in Manchester.
There were very many varying reactions to the changes that accompanied the growth, and industrialization of Manchester. Some people were all for the growth, and development of Manchester while others were strongly against. People who were against the development of Manchester often cited health, and social issues as their reasons, while people in favor of it were usually biased in making it look good, and had reasons for supporting Manchester’s growth such as their own increased wealth.

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