Hr and the Industrial Revolution

With one of the greatest Recessions the United States has experienced since the Great Depression, working conditions have drastically improved compared to the working conditions of the late 1700’s. This period marked the end of the predominantly farming and rural societies that once dominated the young and newly settled American continent. The Industrial Revolution, which originally began in Europe, spread to America and was a period during which the two countries became industrial and urban. Prior to the Revolution, manufacturing was often done in the homes of skilled craftsmen, utilizing hand tools or basic machines. Industrialization marked a shift to powered, special-purpose machinery, factories and mass production. While industrialization provided an increased volume and variety of manufactured goods as well as an improved standard of living for some, it resulted in what would now be considered forbidden employment and living conditions for the poor and working classes within the United States.

As towns grew into cities, the demand for manufactured goods increased. Some workshop owners began employing helpers in order to increase production. During this time, relations between the employer and helper were generally good because the two worked side by side, however around 1800 the factory system brought about great changes as employers no longer worked beside their employees. It became a rarity for an employer to actually see his workers. This lack of interaction led to the downgrade of the general concern with the welfare of their employees, and led to more concern with the overall cost of their labor.

Many workers were disgruntled about the changes that were brought on by the factory system and rightfully so. In the past, these workers had taken great pride in their handicraft skills, whereas now machines did all of the work, and they were reduced to the status of common laborers. Along with pride, job security was also lost because in bad times they could lose their jobs, or if cheaper labor came about, they could be replaced. To skilled craftsmen, the Industrial Revolution meant degradation rather than progress.

With the construction of mills and factories, owners were in need of workers. Since most of the jobs created in these factories didn’t require any strength or special skills, the owners believed that women could do the work as opposed to men. It also appeared that female employees were more docile workers than their male counterparts. Due to the growing competition, factory owners began to decrease wages in order to lower the cost of production as well as the price of the finished products. Along with decreasing wages, another blow that was dealt was the increase in the number of machines that each female had to operate. The housing in which the women resided in was becoming overcrowded, which the employers supplied in exchange for their work. All of this was done by the factories in order to save as much