As factories expanded to manufacture things other than textiles, the process of making goods became highly mechanized. And as machine production replaced handcrafts, the level of skill required to manufacture items went down. Operating a machine in a factory took far less skill than making something by hand. As a result, manufacturing products' manufacturing process became cheaper, allowing the middle classes to buy more consumer products. Along with this, however, the wages for working-class laborers dropped and some trades had a difficult time competing with machines. When factories and machines replaced workshops and handcrafted work, tradespeople became workers. As workers tied to an employer, they were forced to accept lower wages for less-skilled jobs. This shift from skilled to unskilled labor made it difficult for workers to demand better working conditions and pay since factory workers were easy to train and easy to replace. This meant that workers could do little about their low wages or the difficult working conditions in the factories.

Working conditions in factories were incredibly harsh. Workdays were often as long as 16 hours with very few breaks. Factory conditions were uncomfortable and unsafe. With all the machines running, room temperatures could become very hot, and the conditions were crowded. Working the machines could be hazardous, and injuries and even deaths were common. And, despite all these risks and poor conditions, the wages were quite low.

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2 years ago