Rapid Urbanization In 19th Century Europe

19th century Europe experienced rapid urbanization due to the Industrial Revolution. The invention of the steam engine, which burned coal for power, lessened the need to build factories near fast moving rivers to supply power and increased the pull of the cities which were conglomerations of industries. In the 19th century, Western Europe experienced rapid urbanization which not only resulted in opportunities to move up in social classes but also posed problems of a rising death rate. The boundaries between classes became blurred as the rich middle class and urban working class provided education for their children. Along with the opportunities for the lower classes was the state government’s inability to keep up with rapid urbanization, causing

For example, a child in the middle class was expected to be educated in literature and the arts. The middle class families of banking, industry, and large-scale commerce had opportunities to mingle with and marry into aristocratic families for title and prestige. Rapid urbanization allowed this to happen because the concentration of wealth went from the old landowning aristocracy to the new industrial middle class and the aristocracy were willing to trade titles for money through marriage. Mass education in cities was just catching on in the 19th century. Even the skilled working class families wished to give their children an education because having an education opened up opportunities for better paying and less labor-intensive jobs. One job associated with urban areas is factory work. Factory workers were paid more than farm laborers so the rapid urbanization opened up more factory jobs. With higher wages, the factory workers could afford more of their needs and improve their quality of life. Also, the children of the skilled working class could become a part of the lower middle class through hard work since the parents saved money to send the children to get