Table of Contents
What was the work like in 1750?
The average working week was 80 hours in 1750 and most men worked as farm labourers, but unemployment was high as machines had started taking over some of the work. Weaving and spinning were cottage industries, done at home. People doing this were skilled workers and wages were quite good.
What was work like in the Industrial Revolution?
Poor workers were often housed in cramped, grossly inadequate quarters. Working conditions were difficult and exposed employees to many risks and dangers, including cramped work areas with poor ventilation, trauma from machinery, toxic exposures to heavy metals, dust, and solvents.
What were living conditions like in 1750?
The living conditions in the cities and towns were miserable and characterized by: overcrowding, poor sanitation, spread of diseases, and pollution. As well, workers were paid low wages that barely allowed them to afford the cost of living associated with their rent and food.
What was the most important industry in 1750?
Textiles were the dominant industry of the Industrial Revolution in terms of employment, value of output and capital invested. The textile industry was also the first to use modern production methods.
Where were most goods produced in 1750?
In 1750, the world was passing through an “Asian Age”. In other words, for hundreds of years, the most valuable stuff in the world – luxury products and consumer goods – was made in Asia.
How long did workers work in the Industrial Revolution?
Most people worked between 12 and 16 hours per day, six days a week, without any paid holidays or vacation. Safety hazards were everywhere, machines didn’t have any safety covers or fences and children as young as 5 years old were operating them. Iron workers worked in temperatures of 130 degrees and higher every day.
Why did it take so long for working class?
Why did it take so long for working class people to fight for improved conditions? Workers were simply grateful to have a job and a place to live. Workers accepted that industrialization brought problems. Workers were too tired from their jobs to protest.
Where did industrial workers live?
Factory workers in the Industrial Revolution were too poor to own houses of their own. Instead, most lived in tenement housing, which is a large apartment building with as many people crammed into it as possible.
How were most things made around 1750?
Most of the goods being produced were handmade by individuals working alone. In a few places, there were manufactories where large groups of people produced complex products together, playing different roles in the process. These weren’t true factories in the modern sense, and usually didn’t have machines.