Lower middle class Industrial Revolution

Social classes During the time frame of the Industrial Revolution there were 3 main social classes: The upper class, the middle class, and the lower class or the working class.

The upper class were the rich and with the advancement of new technology, became richer. Goods could be created and sold for a cheaper price in their factories. With the working class looking for work, were employed by the factory owners. The advantaged social class that had enjoyed wealth and success, had now achieved a new level of luxury.

They constructed mansions and libraries and museums and collected fine art with their newfound wealth. They extended their range of fine silk clothes and comfortable furniture and ran factories with cheap labour from the working class. The middle class probably had the biggest positive impact. Due to their small factories or businesses success, the middle class benefited and they made their way to the upper class. As this happened the middle class took advantage of newly affordable items such as furniture and clothing allowing themselves a more comfortable life. Negative effects The Working class that made up around 80% of society had little or no bargaining power with their employers resulting in the continuation of unfair working hours, bad wages, and unsanitary and hazardous working conditions. The workers could not even fight for their rights in the political system as only the rich were eligible to vote. “There is barely sufficient work for the regular employment of half of our labourers, so that only 1,500,000 are fully and constantly employed, while 1,500,000 more are employed only half their time, and the remaining 1,500,000 wholly unemployed” (Thompson cited in 250)

As concerns about the welfare of children rose in the mid-1800s, Parliament (the English government legislature) held investigations to find out the conditions of children workers. Below is an interview between a parliamentary investigator

The Industrial Revolution took place during the 18th and 19th centuries when major technological breakthroughs changed the ways in which manufacturing, agriculture and trade were conducted. Inventions like the cotton gin, steam engine and sewing machine transformed entire economies and brought deep and lasting change to all classes of people.

With the advent of new technologies, mass-produced goods could be created and sold more cheaply and quickly than ever before, inciting a surge of production and consumption. With the explosion of manufacturing and trade, the rich who owned businesses got even richer. Middle-class factory owners who were very successful were able to move into the upper class. The tremendous new wealth created by industrialization allowed the upper class to build huge mansions, collect fine art and erect museums and libraries. The privileged social group had always enjoyed prosperity, but now they achieved a new realm of luxury and extravagance.

As a group, the middle class saw enormous benefits from the industrial revolution. The growth of new businesses and factories created thousands of new jobs. The middle class itself grew in size as occupations like merchants, shopkeepers and accountants allowed the working class to lift themselves into a higher social strata. As these workers earned more, they were able to take advantage of the newly affordable amenities like furniture and fine clothing, giving themselves a comfortable life. They were also able to educate their children, so that their social standing would be maintained or even rise with the next generation.

The Poor Remain Poor

For the poor and working-class people, their lives changed, but didn’t necessarily improve. For centuries before the industrial revolution, the lower classes had earned their living through jobs in agriculture; now they worked in factories. Because factory work was usually easier than working in the fields, women and children joined the workforce in huge numbers. Wages, though, were very low, and even with an entire family working, it was hard to earn a decent living. Furthermore, the working conditions were often filthy, dangerous, or both. At the very least, the work was repetitive and menial in nature. As families needing jobs sought work in factories, they swarmed into cities, and the cities became overcrowded and rife with disease. Children who worked all day did not go to school, and so did not receive an education or advance themselves.

The Rising Tide Did Not Lift All Boats

The industrial revolution had a lasting impact on all people, but not all classes benefited equally. Those who could take advantage of the better jobs or professions, or those who were lucky enough to be business owners, were able to enjoy comfort, privilege and leisure in many ways. Those who were uneducated and limited to unskilled labor often remained stuck at the bottom of the economic pile. Their working and living conditions lacked any comfort or safety, and their lives were often miserable, or at best, simply dreary and dead-end.

The Upper Class     The early upper class included estate owners, factory owners, and rich nobles. They had a very fine life with servants and maids to do their housework and preparing them food and tea. They usually lived in the countryside where it was very peaceful and they could enjoy life at its fullest. Women usually wore elegant dresses and men wore suits or other fine clothing.                          The Middle Class     The early middle class was created when factory managers, merchants, and shippers became wealthy from the huge production from the industries. In the 1800s the new middle class split into two groups, the upper middle class and the lower middle class. The upper middle class included factory owners, doctors, lawyers, and government employees, they were almost the equivalent of the upper class. The lower middle class included skilled workers, toolmakers, and factory overseers. They usually lived in the city because they had to work in businesses.                                                                                                                                                            The Working Class     Finally, the early working class consisted of laborers that worked in the factories, shops, and other businesses. They were the ones that suffered the most out of all three classes. In the coal mines, many women and children died of black lung (a symptom when you inhale coal dust). In textile factories, children had a high percentage of getting injured by the machines. If they didn't work hard enough or took a short break, factory overseers would whip them. The women on the other hand, had no major improvement in working conditions on their behalf either. They had to work 14 hours a day and they usually lived in crowded houses in small, unsanitary streets that had no sewers and rarely had good lighting. If a worker got killed, there was no insurance involved. They would just get replaced by another women.