The impact of industrialisation
The late 18th and early 19th centuries were a period of industrial revolution. There was a huge migration to the new industrial towns and cities, as people were attracted by the prospect of better wages. However, as these towns and cities grew rapidly, they became overcrowded.
Living conditions for working families deteriorated and life expectancy fell. The government鈥檚 attitude was one of Translated as 鈥榣eave well alone鈥 or 鈥榣et the people choose鈥. A government policy of interfering as little as possible in social and economic policy. They believed that it was not their job to pass laws about things like housing, sewage and water supply, or to try to regulate working conditions.
Manchester
Manchester in the 19th century was an example of how industrialisation had resulted in terrible living conditions. The city saw a rapid rise in its population: from 10,000 people in 1700 to 89,000 people in 1801. By 1851, there were 400,000 people living in Manchester in 50,000 houses. By 1901, Manchester was the third biggest city in Britain.
The rapid expansion of Manchester created major problems for public health. There was a lot of overcrowding in low-quality housing and Dirty or unclean conditions that may be dangerous to people鈥檚 health. conditions. This made the town a breeding ground for diseases like A bacterial infection caused by contaminated drinking water. A bacterial disease usually passed from rats, cats, etc. to humans via lice, fleas and ticks. It spreads in areas of poor sanitation and through close contact between people. Possible complications include loss of hearing, organ damage and gangrene. and A bacterial infection (also known as TB) spread through breathing in tiny droplets from the coughs or sneezes of an infected person.
Cotton mills drew people from the countryside into the city for work. The mills paid better wages than people could get in farming communities and there were opportunities for children to work as well. Conditions in the mills were much harder than in the countryside as:
- the working hours were long
- workplace discipline in the mills was strict
- factory machinery could cause terrible injuries to workers