The industrial revolution was a period of time in England when hand power switched over to machine power, this period of time lasted from the late 1700’s to the early 1800’s. In this time period major changes took place in agriculture, manufacturing, industry and society. Before these dire changes all workers worked from the privacy of their homes, this type of industry was known as the cottage industry. There was a wide variety of adjustments that took place in England at the time. These amendments started with the textile industries. These changes included the water frame that was invented by Richard Arkwright, this was a major modification that you could say in a way started the industrial revolution. There were some other inventions that further modernized humanity, these inventions integrated the mule, spinning jenny, flying shuttle, the steam engine, coke, and puddling and rolling. Barring no one, these inventions all played a notable part in the alteration of England.
Amidst all of this evolution there was an appalling phenomenon going on the artisans and the workers of England. The farmers and artisans that lead a serene and tranquil life, free of worries and long hours. They now stared a life of desolation and melancholy in the face. The farmers and the artisans were diligent and thorough people with the purpose of providing the general public with quality and custom made products that the public adored. These artisans and farmers played a foremost role in the economy of England at one time before the industrial revolution. The expansion of the industrial revolution started from the building of roads and canals with these in place transportation improved.
As Ludwig von Mises once described what he thought about the industrial revolution like this “The factory owners did not have the power to compel anybody to take a factory job. They could only hire people who were ready to work for the wages offered to them…. Their only refuge was the factory. It saved them, in the strict sense of the term, from death by starvation.” This quote really describes why there were so many factory workers that were ready to slave away at machines all day long.
Artisans and farmers were the masters of their wishes, they had a very flexible work schedule they were self-employed people that worked from the convenience of their own homes. These workers worked with immense dexterity and were very dedicated workers that gave the public in return a quality and exceptional product. They did not have a supervisor that watched their every action. All the money they made was theirs to keep for them.
The life styles of the artisans and the farmers were moderately busy and they got some time off to spend on leisure and activities. Opposed to the demanding and hectic lifestyles of the factory workers they had a much better life in my scrutiny. These farmers and artisans had a superior life than the factory workers, these people had children and they had almost all of the luxuries in life that were available at the time. They were emancipated to do what there minds wished for. They did not have to listen to any one and they could work when they wanted to. This was a major plus point for the artisans and the farmers. Because without a manager a person can let his or her mind wander and come up with original ideas in contrast to a factory where a worker has to follow a strict guideline set out by the boss.
In general the quality of living was higher for the craftsman and the farmers, because in the long run, the Industrial Revolution has benefited the lives of all when measured by living standards. We live longer, work less and generally live healthier lives. This is only the product of many years of adjustment and adaptation. The Industrial Revolution was just that, a revolution. It violently changed the world making it better for some and unbearable for others. The artisans were deeply affected by the corrupt force of this part in history. The middle and upper class spurned change without ever thinking of the consequences, and predictably, the lower class suffered. The quality of life fell to a new low but with responsible government and individual foresight, the lives of all gradually improved. The impact and scope of the Industrial Revolution is hard to gauge because we live in the wake of its continually changing and evolving force. As Jean Jacques Rousseau once said, “Civilization spoils people” but, did people spoil civilization by implementing machines to do our work ?
