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The Industrial Revolution led to rapid urbanization as people migrated from farms to cities due to changes in farming, population growth, and demand for workers. Small towns located near coal or iron mines grew into cities, and other cities developed around new factories. While the wealthy and middle class lived in pleasant neighborhoods, the poor struggled in overcrowded slums with no running water or sanitation. Harsh working conditions in factories and mines included long hours, injuries from unsafe machinery, and child labor. Over time, reformers pushed for laws to improve conditions, and unions fought for better wages and protections.

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Name Class Date

The Industrial Revolution led to rapid urbanization as people migrated from farms to cities due to changes in farming, population growth, and demand for workers. Small towns located near coal or iron mines grew into cities, and other cities developed around new factories. While the wealthy and middle class lived in pleasant neighborhoods, the poor struggled in overcrowded slums with no running water or sanitation. Harsh working conditions in factories and mines included long hours, injuries from unsafe machinery, and child labor. Over time, reformers pushed for laws to improve conditions, and unions fought for better wages and protections.

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api-245498585
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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The Industrial Revolution brought rapid urbanization, or the movement of people to cities. Changes in farming, soaring population
growth, and a demand for workers led masses of people to migrate
from farms to cities. Almost overnight, small towns that were
located around coal or iron mines grew into cities. Other cities developed around the factories in once-quiet market towns.
Those who benefited most from the Industrial Revolution were
the entrepreneurs who set it in motion. The Industrial Revolution
created this new middle class, whose members came from a variety
of backgrounds. While the wealthy and the middle class lived in
pleasant neighborhoods, vast numbers of poor struggled to survive
in slums. They packed into tiny rooms in tenements that had no
running water and no sewage or sanitation system. Sewage rotted in
the streets or was dumped into rivers, which created an overwhelming stench and contaminated drinking water. This led to the spread
of diseases such as cholera.
The heart of the new industrial city was the factory. Working in a
factory differed greatly from working on a farm. In rural villages,
people worked hard, but the work varied according to the season.
Some seasons were easier than others. The factory system imposed a
harsh new way of life on workers. Working hours were long, with
shifts lasting from twelve to sixteen hours, six or seven days a week.
Exhausted workers were injured by machines that had no safety
devices. Working conditions in the mines were even worse than in
the factories. Factories and mines also hired many boys and girls.
These children often started working at age seven or eight; a few
were as young as five.
The early industrial age brought terrible hardships. In time, however, reformers pressed for laws to improve working conditions.
Labor unions won the right to bargain with employers for better
wages, hours, and working conditions. Despite the social problems
created by the Industrial Revolutionlow pay, dismal living conditionsthe industrial age did have some positive effects. Wages rose.
Also as the cost of railroad travel fell, more people could afford to
travel further and faster than ever before.

Review Questions
1. What caused rapid urbanization to occur during the Industrial
Revolution?

2. How did the factory system change the way people worked?

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