Chapter 12 - The Industrial + Social Revolution Flashcards

Question

Describe the efforts to improve working conditions in textile mills + coal mines in Britain during the 19th century

Answer 1

1. Often very dangerous job, lots of other problems too 2. New factory laws introduced, the Factory Acts - included: - no child workers under 9 - 2 hours schooling each day for kids - kids of 9-13 no more than 9 hours, 13-18 no more than 12 3. Robert Owen improved lives of workers in his factory in Scotland - build good houses for workers, provided schools for children, believed in treating workers well + paying fair wage 4. New laws also brought in that banned women + children from working in mines 5. Another improvement: invention of Davy safety lamp - reduced risk of explosions

Answer 2

1. When he married in 1799, moved to her home near Glasgow from Manchester 2. Appalled by awful living conditions of workers in Manchester, determined to improve things for those in New Lanark 3. Built them new houses, taught to look after homes 4. Houses had clean, unpolluted water supply - led to improvements in health among the workers, didn't suffer from diseases like cholera + TB like workers in other areas 5. Good quality, cheap food sold, strict limits placed on sale of alcohol 6. Also first man in Britain to encourage education of poor children, responsible for setting up number of infant schools around country

Answer 3

1. Lot of problems with public health during industrial revolution, many died from diseases like cholera etc. 2. Many died young bc of living + working conditions 3. Social reformer called Edwin Chadwick wrote report for government on causes of diseases - said every big town + city needed proper sewage system + clean water 4. Government forced to act, Public Health Act passed 5. This resulted in cleaner + safer cities bc sewers built + water piped 6. This led to huge improvement in health of people during I.R.

Answer 4

1. Increase in population led to overcrowding problems 2. Some lived in tiny houses by the factory - these were poorly built, terraced back to back and had a high rent 3. Others rented single room for family in the tenement houses (slums) 4. Slept on straw - no furniture 5. No indoor toilets, one outdoor shared by everyone (up to 90), no sewers 6. No running water in houses 7. Many forced to use water from river where sewage also dumped 8. Due to this poor sanitation disease was major problem - dirty water causes typhoid + cholera, cold + damp living conditions led to TB/consumption 9. Poor lived close to starvation - diet of porridge, potatoes, cheese, bread (often stale + rotten) 10. Often could just afford one small meal daily, especially if big family 11. Houses cold + damp (couldn't afford fuel)

Answer 5

1. Health was awful, v. poor sanitation caused typhoid + cholera 2. Cold + damp living conditions caused TB/consumption 3. Pollution from burning of coal caused smog, which caused lung problems 4. Workers in textile factories suffered lung problems from breathing in tiny pieces of material all day, and got bad backs from Kensington over machines all day 5. As living + working conditions so hard + stressful, no wonder also revolution in leisure activities 6. Growth of railways led to growth of seaside resorts like Blackpool + Brighton - workers from LPL/MCR went on day trips to escape awful lives 7. Football, rugby + cricket became v. popular, clubs started (this was later when got half days on Saturdays) 8. But didn't have much leisure time due to long hours 9. What little time they had often spent in taverns drinking to block out misery of lives - alcohol abuse v. prominent feature of every town, key factor in low life expectancy of working class 10. Bear baiting + cockfighting still popular, horse racing such as Grand National becoming popular, gambling on these