Urbanization, Gender, Social And Social Impact Of The Industrial Revolution

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The Industrial Revolution sparked the change from the agricultural 18th to the factory based 19th century. It caused many changes in America and show a drastic change in how people lived. The Industrial Revolution not only sparked urbanization but if influenced the economy, political decisions, and gender and class roles in society.
First, the economy was considerably impacted by the Industrial Revolution because the main job switched from farming to working in a factory and construction. With the change of life came the change of income and goods. Many new immigrants were coming to America and moving to the cities along with farmers. One major setback of the new urbanizations was that there weren 't enough people to run the farms and feed …show more content…

Consequently, during this time children were forced to work in factories because of the new standard of living. It was nearly impossible for a family to live decently without at least two well-paying jobs. It was not uncommon for kids to be pulled from school to work in a factory and contribute to the family income. It wasn’t until 1918 that Congress passed the first Child Labor Law banning the use of children in factories. Similarly, labor unions were formed to protest the odious work conditions in the new factories. They were meant to distribute power evenly allowing workers to more rights such as fair pay and decent working conditions. Comparable, reform acts were also a major result from the Industrial Revolution. For example, in 1802, the Legislature passed the Health and Morals of Apprentices Act. The new act banned apprentices from working more than twelve hours a day. Both Industrialization and Urbanization greatly impacted politics during the time of the Industrial Revolution. They changed the way civilians lived and worked, and because of that new laws were created to protect and enhance this new way of …show more content…

With the new factories and way of life came new gender roles and social classes. One major effect of the Industrial Revolution was the creation of the middle class. The middle class or “working class” was composed of families who had members working in factories. The middle class was not wealthy rich to the point they did not have to work, but they also were not dirty poor to the point where they could not afford to live. Also, the middle class drastically changed the economy by bring more money into the flow and changing the prices of everyday goods. With more people working and receiving money, it also means that more money is being spent. Similarly, the middle class was started because of urbanization. People in the middle class moved to the cities so they could be closer to work and further away from the rural agriculture. Not only was the middle class created but a new line of entrepreneurs was created. During this time business skyrocketed and a few smart investors took advantage of that. For example John. D. Rockefeller invented the Company Standard Oil and dominated the oil industry. His new company was the first U.S. business trust. While Industrialization and the movement to cities created many new job opportunities it also created new social classes and

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