To what extent was the industrial revolution (1750-1900) a period of great progress in

Britain?

INTRODUCTION:

The industrial revolution in Britain (1750-1900) was a period of huge technological and
medical progress due to the development of machines such as the steam engine and
steamboats as well as improvements made in treatments. In the short term, the industrial
revolution resulted in very limited economical progress in terms of women’s and children’s
working conditions.

Due to advancements made in technologies, transportation played a significant role in

the progression of Great Britain during the Industrial Revolution. Evidence of this was the steam
engine. This was a straightforward device made by James Watt in 1775 that heated water for
use in industries, mines, and other applications, including the development of steamboats.
Steamboats were a method of transporting products and people along rivers. They enhanced
transportation capacity, resulting in larger supply and more demand. This shows great progress
during the industrial revolution because larger supply and demand allowed for additional
industrial machinery to be created, a step that kickstarted Britain's transition to becoming an
industrial society rather than an agrarian society. On the other hand, the invention of railways
caused irreparable damage to the environment. Coal was used as fuel for steam engines which
powered railways. Using coal,which trains used in excessive amounts, is extremely detrimental
to the environment because it emits toxic chemicals into the air. This is an example of regress
because the air pollution worsened people’s health, especially for the lower class since they
were already enduring being cramped in tight spaces and poor sanitation. The increase in
turnpike roads is another example of progression. This is because better road surfaces allowed
for products\, and food to be transported on wagons rather than packhorses. Therefore,
improving both the capacity and speed of transportation. In 1754, the journey from London to
Manchester took four days; in 1836, it took 29 hours. As people left the farms to move to urban
areas, populations raised. Since transportation speed increased, food was supplied quicker to
those rapidly growing populations. Transportation shows great progress during the Industrial
Revolution because it increased production and improved food transportation, therefore, aiding
Britain's transition from being an agrarian society to an industrial society.
 In terms of health, improvements in treatment allowed for significant progress during the
Industrial Revolution in Britain. Through his knowledge of Pasteur's germ theory and multiple
experiments, Joseph Lister discovered that spraying a tiny mist of carbolic acid directly over the
wound limited infection during surgery. Lister’s own records reveal that from 1864 to 1866, out
of the 35 people that did not use antiseptics, 16 died, and from 1867 to 1870, out of 40 people
who did use antiseptics, only 6 died. His recordings show that his antiseptic did work. Lister’s
antiseptic shows progress because, as a result, there was a decrease in deaths. On the other
hand, carbolic acid did not show progress during the industrial revolution because of the many
oppositions posed against it, specifically by surgeons. Carbolic acid was very dangerous for
surgeons because it burned their skin and emitted an intense smell. This was hardly a step
forward because, ironically, it only created more injuries and made operations unpleasant for
the surgeon. However, Lister’s antiseptic influenced the action of employing more safety
measures during surgery. For example, all instruments had to be steam-sterilized and rubber
gloves be used. This shows major progress because more challenging surgical procedures
were now being successfully performed, increasing longevity and decreasing deaths. Lister’s
ideas allowed for significant health progression during the Industrial Revolution in Britain
because surgeons became more vigilant about ensuring cleanliness during surgery, which
helped increase life expectancy.

Although the Industrial Revolution in Britain made huge progress, it lacked progress for
women and children. Their health and well-being were consistently neglected due to the working
conditions they were put through by factory owners. Workers were expected to work 12-15 hour
shifts, Monday to Saturday, excluding breaks and dinner. Their shifts consisted of labor-
intensive and repetitive work. The long hours of work meant that they were not getting enough
proper sleep to function properly and were always physically burned out by the end. On top of
this, they were getting extremely low wages. Women were getting paid 5 shillings a week while
children were only provided with 1 shilling. The wages were so poor that families often relied on
their children for money. Factories were happy to employ children because they cost less add
abt child labor. This shows regress because families struggled to pay for rent and consistently
provide food for themselves, let alone their whole family, therefore dying of starvation.
Additionally, the lack of nutrition made the workers more vulnerable to illnesses and diseases
such as smallpox, causing an even larger increase in death rates. On the other hand, minor
progress was made for children’s working conditions. In 1832, Sadler was sent to investigate
their working conditions and submit his findings to the parliament. Sadler’s report lead to the
1833 Factory act employed for children. The Factory act required age certificates for workers
and most importantly, for children ages 9 to 13, the act limited their working hours to 9 hours a
day and 13 to 18-year-olds worked a maximum of 12 hours a day. This was a step forward
because children were not being as overworked as in the 1700s. Overall, there was a lack of
progress for women during the industrial revolution because of harsh working conditions, but
there were slight improvements in working conditions for children as a result of the 1833 Factory
act.

During the Industrial Revolution, Lister’s idea of using carbolic acid as an antiseptic
allowed for significant progress because it led to better sanitation during operations, causing a
decrease in death rates. In addition, the innovation of steamboats created greater production,
meaning more food availability, therefore, allowing people to move into urban areas and turning
Britain into a manufacturing-based economy. In the short term, the industrial revolution made
very finite progress in working conditions for women and children. However, in 1833, slight
improvements being made for children such as the factory act, which lowered working hours for
them.