Positive Effects:
Effect
|
Impact
|
Population Growth
(from agricultural
changes)
|
·
Larger pool of workers for factories
·
Higher demand for goods made in factories
|
Increased wealth of
businessmen
|
·
More factories being set up to produce goods –
thus decreasing the price of goods
·
Provide funding for inventors – thus inventors
are able to come up with new, beneficial inventions.
|
Increased wealth of
country
|
·
Higher
standards of living
·
Improved living conditions
|
Globalized Economy
|
·
Wider range of goods available at a reasonable
price
·
Increased economical activity starting in
Britan, then the world
·
Allowed different people to mix (eg, when
farmers were forced to move and integrate into the city, a more diverse
population with diverse skills)
·
Due to the diverse population, people were
more likely to be evaluated based on their talents, not their nationality,
race or religion.
|
Negative Effects
Effect
|
Imapct
|
Population Growth
|
·
Larger pool of workers for factories resulted
in factory owners reducing the standards of living for them (eg, factory
condition, wages) as there was always someone willing to work for less. Child
labour and the ill-treatment of employees became a common sight
|
Social Classes
|
·
The distinction between social classes became
clearer as the income gap between the businessmen and the workers widened
|
Overcrowding
|
·
Low hygiene standards, poor living conditions.
Overcrowding was due to the sudden movement of many people to the same area
(because many farmers lost their land and jobs. Rats, insects and other pests
became common. Diseases were spread more easily, also due to the crowded, frigid
atmosphere of many factories. Children were not given an education, they were
mainly just sent to factories to work to support poor families.
|
Conclusion:
The Industrial Revolution was a significant revolution in
society. Though it has many negative impacts, the positive impacts and
influence on the world today outweigh the negative impacts. For example, we
would not have clothes and food so readily and easily available and affordable
had it not been for the invention of machines. The main point of revolution is change, usually meant in a positive way
in the long run. Without any change, one would be still living in a world with
expensive clothes, and no computer! The industrial revolution caused major
changes in society, mainly the economy, because of the influx of many new
ideas, mindsets and invention, which allowed the commercial industry to be as
it is today.