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ZachDeldin
Mr.White
ModernEuropeanHistory
1/12/2016

TheIndustrialRevolutionUnitExamEssay

TheIndustrialRevolution,thetimewherepeopleworkedfromsunrisetosunset.The
timewhereyoungeightyearoldkidscoulddiefromworking.AnartistnamedMonetcaptured
thelightanddarknessbehindtherevolutionwithtohistoricpaintingsfromtheimpressionistic
period.Inonepicture,itexpressesthelightandgoodthatcomesfromtheIndustrialRevolution
withbeautifulflowerscastingoverafield.TheothersideshowshowcrueltheIRcanbetothe
worldwithsmokehailingfromallendsofthesky.Factoriespollutingtheearthandsky.The
peopleoftheIndustrialRevolutiongaveinintofundingtheirgovernmentforthisrevolution
becauseofsocialdarwinism,nationalism,andimperialism.

TheIndustrialRevolutionwasnotaprettysightatfirst.Youneededajobtosupportyour
familyandsurvivewellthegoodjobsarenotthebestjobs.Factoriesrequiredlargenumbersof
workers,whichcausedhugemigrationsofpeoplefromthecountrysidetothecitieswherethey
workedlonghoursforlowwageswhilelivingincrowdedandunsanitaryconditions.Evensmall
childrenworkedasmanyas16hoursadaybecomingsotiredtheyfellintomachineryandwere
crippledorkilled.Theriskoflosinganarmonthejobis2:1.Childrenasyoungassixyearsold
duringtheindustrialrevolutionworkedhardhoursforlittleornopay.Childrensometimes
workedupto19hoursaday,withaonehourtotalbreak.Thiswasalittlebitontheextreme,but
itwasnotcommonforchildrenwhoworkedinfactoriestowork1214hourswiththesame
minimalbreaks.ThefamiliesoftheIRneededmoneyforbread,whichwasthemainfood
source,sotheygaveupchildrentoworkwithnoeducation.Ifthehourslookbadthepayiseven
worse,thereasonwhymen,women,andchildrenwork24hoursstraightisbecausetheyearn10
centsPERHOUR.Darwinismhadinfluencedthefamiliestosendtheirkidstowork.Survival
wasamust,ifyouwerenotfittogetajobyourfamilywouldnothaveenoughmoneytobuy
food.Theindustrializedeconomiesofcountriesintherevolutionneededrawmaterialsand
imperialismwasseenasawaytogetthosematerials.Thatisthereasonwhyfactoriessetup
shop,tomaketherawmaterialsintoproductsthecountryneeds.Thelivingconditionsareeven
worsethantheeve.Firstofallnoplumbing,soafteryoudidwhatyoudidpeoplewoulddoone
oftwothings.A,leaveitthereorb,tossitontothestreets.Soyourbusinesssattherefordays
onend.Alsoyourapartmentwouldonlybeoneroomwith5otherpeoplelivinginit.Theplace
wouldbecrowdedandifadiseasewascaughtitwouldspreadtopersontopersonveryquickly.
Areasonwhypeoplestarvedandlivedincrapplaceswasbecausetheywantedtomakea

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statementfortheircountry.Thepeoplehungeredtobelongtotheirownnations.Thatiswhere
nationalismplaysapart.

TheIndustrialRevolutionatthispointisfailingmiserably.Lowerclasscitizensare
cominghomewithlostlimbsandotherseriousinjurieswhileonlygettingpaid10centsperhour.
Alsothelivingconditionsarenotthatmuchbetter,youhave23familiessharingONEROOM,
andnosewagewhichisdisgusting.Alongthewaypeopleandgovernmentslookedbackonwhat
hashappenedanddecidedtomakeachange.Thereformswereasaviortotheworkersinthe
factoriesandtochildrenaswell.Thereformswereasetoflawsoractionstakenplacelateinto
theindustrialrevolutiontoreduceworklabor.Hoursweredeductedfromworkerssotheycould
gohomeandbewiththeirfamilies.Safetyregulationsweremadeonmachinerysonowlost
limbswouldbehappeninganymore.TheEmploymentofChildreninFactoriesAct,wasahuge
setofrulesthathelpedbenefitthechildren.Kidsagedfrom813cannotworkbefore6a.m.or
after6p.m.,or2pmAlsoeducationwasrequiredforatleast23hoursadayinbetweenwork
shiftssothekidscouldgetadecenteducation.Ahorriblejobforworkerswerethemines,there
wouldbecollapsesthatwouldkillanddiseasesfromblacksmokeinhalation.WelltheMinesAct
enforcedallwomen,girls,andboysundertheageof10forbiddenfromundergroundwork.The
otherpartthehelpedreboundtoindustrialrevolutionontherightpathweretheinnovationsof
medicineTheIndustrialRevolutionbroughtmanytechnologicalmarvelssuchasantisepticsto
killbacteriainhospitals,vaccinationstopreventdisease,etc.AmannamedLouisPasteur
createdawaytostopwoundinfectionswithbacteria.Hediscoveredthatbacteriathatmakesbeer
andwineturnsourandthesamebacteriacouldbekilledbyheat.Thisprocesswascalled
Pasteurization.Hisgermtheorytodevelopcausesandvaccinationsfordiseasessuchasanthrax,
cholera,TBandsmallpox.Anothergreatchemistcontributedtothemedicalinnovations,Joseph
Lister.Listeralsocreatedanotherideatostopinfectionsinwoundsbutinsurgery.readPasteur's
workonmicroorganismsanddecidedtoexperimentwithusingoneofPasteur'sproposed
techniques,thatofexposingthewoundtochemicals.Hechosedressingssoakedwithcarbolic
acidtocoverthewoundandtherateofinfectionwasvastlyreduced.Thisleadontosomany
successfulsurgerieswithoutinfections.Areasonwhythereformsandinnovationswereputin
playwerebecauseortwoideologies,nationalism,socialdarwinism,andimperialism.People
knewabouttheterrorsoffactoriesandthehomescausedbytherevolutionsotheygavemoney
inthegovernment.Theonlypeoplewhocanfixthismess,theydidntbecausetheywantedtheir
countrytoflourishandbethefittestandnotcorruptandsuffer.Imperialismwastakingcontrol
oftheAfricanland.ThiswouldhelpthefactoriesbecausetherawmaterialstheygetfromAfrica
wouldbeusedincreatinginnovationsthatcanhelptheworkersinfactories,likeprotection.The
ideaof"survivalofthefittest"wasalsoadoptedbyrichindustrialistswhobelievedtheirwealth
provedtheyweresuperiorexamplesofthehumanspecies.Therefore,itwasperfectlyacceptable
forthemtoenjoytheirvastricheswhilekeepingtheirinferiorworkerslivinginpoverty.

Theindustrialrevolutionbouncedtothetopbecauseofhownationalism,imperialism,and
darwinisminfluencedthereformsandinnovations.

.
Nationalism,Darwinism,andImperialismaresaidtohavedestroyedandhelpedthe
IndustrialRevolution,theideologiesdidntonlydothat,Thesethreeleaduptotheveryfirst
WorldWar.Fromthe1850stotheearly1900sGermanywassplitupintomanydifferentsmall
countriessuchas,Prussia,Austria,etc.TheGermansfeltagreatdealofbeingunitedtobecome
one,onenation.NationalisminfluencedpeopletouniteandformGermany.Imperialismplaysa
roleaswell,seeafterGermanyisunitedthepeopleofthecountrywanttoexpandtobecomethe
ultimaterulerofEurope.Itcostedmoney,andthepeoplepaidbecausetheyfeltproudofwhat
theyweredoing.Becauseinspiredbynationalismideasoffreedommadethepeoplehungered
tobelongtotheirownnations.TheseideasmadeGermanyinvadeandbeginWWI.Theworld
sawtheemergenceofadarkersideofnationalismthatglorifiedwarandmilitaryconquest.This
extremeformofnationalism

madepeoplebelievethatone'scultureissuperiortoothers.This
turnedintodarwinism.
..
ImperialismwasencouragedbynationalismEuropeannationswantedto
increasetheirpowerandpridebyaddingmoreland,moreterritory.Imperialismwasalso
supportedbysocialdarwinism.

ButthemostimportantforcebehindimperialisminWWIwas
money.TheIndustrialRevolutionchangedEuropefromaconsumerofmanufacturedgoodstoa
producer,andEurope'sfactoriesneededplacestoselltheirproducts.Thodefactorieslattermade
weaponstoselltothegovernment.Thethreeideologieslistedabovewasthereasonwhythe
IndustrialRevolutionlinkedtoWWI.

TheIndustrialRevolutionwasahistoricphaseintheworld.ThepeopleoftheIndustrial
RevolutiongaveinintosupportingtheindustrialrevolutionbecauseofSocialDarwinism,
nationalism,andimperialism.TheideologiessaidhelpedtheclimateinthedevastationofWWI.