Why did people think that the Industrial Revolution was inhumane?

Answer 1

Industrial revolution meant a huge boom for the industry of the countries that took part in mainly England where it all started. While doing so, factories and industries employed people to operate the new machines but there was never a clear working regime like working hours, salary, unions. There were so many people going to the big cities and trying to get into the big factories that to the owners didn't matter if someone would complain about having to much work since there were a lot of people behind that person that wanted the job since the familiar industries and the country side industries were practically broke due to the industrial revolution.
Just for having something to eat, people would work 12 hours straight, with salary no where near fair, owners would hire children and having them work extreme hours as well.
Hope it helps

Answer 2

Before the Industrial Revolution, families tended to live in small farming communities that could provide for themselves. There was probably a general store and maybe a few other things, but things were mostly traded and money wasn't importantant.

During the Industrial Revolution, there was promise of new future and lots of money so people flocked intot he city. There wasn't enough houses or food. It created the working poor and also created the first slums. Everyone int he family had to work -- Children includded. The factories had people work 14-18 hour days, no break, maybe a half hour for lunch. Girls had to keep their hair tied back in order for them not to be pulled into the machines. The places were dirty and there was no sick or vaction leave. They worked 6 days a week for only pennies.

This is what prompted the Unions to form. But that is another topic. I hope that helps.

Answer 3

The working conditions of the masses during the Industrial Revolution were inhumane. People would work 16 hour days under atrocious conditions. As there were no unions or set working conditions they were used as little more than slave labour. Included in this regime were children as young as 5, working with and around unsafe machinery in fetid conditions.

The Industrial Revolution also saw the breakdown of the family unit as large numbers of people migrated to the towns and cities, leaving behind the rural family background most people were used to.

Answer 4

There was an accepted 'natural order' to things prior to the 'Age of Enlightenment’ The general population viewed their lot in life as pre-determined by God. most people lived in the country side, small villages had a local community and most importantly, common land. This enabled almost everyone to have small numbers of live stock and access to fuel.

The Enclosures Acts of the 1700s where the local land owning MPs 'acquired' this common land was the end of the 'natural order'. Families no longer had the means to survive from a subsistence economy without money. They needed to earn a wage, cottage industries were set up in houses, weaving became a common alternative to the former 'cash crops' of fattening up live stock from common land. There were however no jobs for these people, large scale manufacturing did not exist.

One of the reasons for the enclosures acts was that land 'owners' saw more profit in live stock than 'owning labour' i.e. sheep were more profitable than rents, forcing people off the land became more profitable than leaving them on it, especially in the newly conquered Scotland. Where else for people to move to than the cities, starvation forcing families to move on and on, some emigrated, others with less money found work where they could.

Advances in science brought power, power to move machines, first via water mills, then steam driven. Goods need to be moved, Canals were 'navigated' across the land dug by the Irish, then came the railways and the rat race of manufacturing, jobs, rural depopulation and city living developed.

Why was the industrial revolution inhumane? The old 'natural order' was shattered, communities that had remained settled for hundreds of years were split apart, families separated and for many, childhood was lost to long dangerous hours in the factories. With the factories paying in specially minted coins, only redeemable in the factory owned shop, it was slavery in all but name.

Answer 5

It was inhumane because there were no decent wages and age didn't matter. It was before the days of child labor laws so often kids would have to go to work to help surport their families. Safety was another problem. There were almost no laws concerning work place safety and if you got injuried your empolyer didn't care and would just toss you on the street. There was no such thing as insurance to help medical care and a lot of people died due to being injuried on the job and not having any money to go to the doctor.