Question

Why was the industrial revolution seen as both a blessing and a curse?

Answer 1

The Industrial Revolution was a blessing because it allowed for the mass production of goods and resulted in technologies that would change the world forever. For example, the spinning jenny helped to revolutionize the clothing industry. This machine allowed for textiles to be produced at a highly efficient rate. Besides textiles, iron was another commodity that was able to be mass produced during this era. So many different parts of our society today (buildings, railroads, etc.) rely on the production of steel in order to be successful.

However, this time period could also be considered a curse. One of the reasons why was because of the injuries that came with working with this new technology. People lost hands, fingers, and sometimes even feet when they used the equipment improperly. Along with this, we see the development and use of child labor during this period. Sometimes children would work full time jobs (40+ hours) in order to help support their families, taking away their childhood innocence and ability to go to school.