The industrial revolution lead to a new ways of life for many Europeans. It affected transportation, the workforce makeup, living conditions, and economics.
The invention of steam engines and locomotives led to the development of factories and railroads. Factories were built to greatly increase the number of textile and agricultural production. Many of these factory workers were children under the age of 16, or sometimes even women! These two groups were often chosen for the workforce due to the ability to pay them shockingly low wages with no consequences. Railroads made way for quick travel and the telegraph allowed for quicker, easier communication. Both of these inventions allowed businesses in Britain and the United States to boom.
This industrial boom came at a cost. There was now mass use of no renewable resources such as fossil fuels, and great overcrowding populations in cities. These circumstances led to horrible, sometimes even deadly, living conditions for working class families.
Social roles in the 19th century reflected new conceptions of women. Due to the economy many women found themselves needing employment and took up jobs in factories, mills, retail shops, coal mines, and domestic positions. This was a relatively new idea for society which used to see the sole purpose and necessity of women was in the home raising children, cooking and cleaning, and taking care of their husbands. With the Industrial Revolution, women were now expected to work and care for their families.
