Title: Urbanization & Other Effects of the Industrial Revolution: Social & Economic Impacts - Video & Lesson Transcript | Study.com
Headings: Urbanization & Other Effects of the Industrial Revolution: Social & Economic Impacts
Urbanization & Other Effects of the Industrial Revolution: Social & Economic Impacts
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Urbanization
Working Conditions
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Content: Many historians believe this population increase was due to a dramatic decline in the death rate. A drop in famines, warfare and illnesses, and an increase in food sources, all mixed to cause a population spike. As early as 1850, many European cities were centers of industrial growth. In fact, by 1850, over 50% of the entire population of Great Britain lived in either a town or a city instead of in a rural community. The growth of cities led to horrible living conditions. The wealthy fared far better than the industrial workers because they could afford to live in the suburbs on the outskirts of the city. However, for most of the factory workers, cities were dirty, crowded places where epidemics frequently broke out. Overcrowded row homes created to house the workers and their families contributed to these conditions. Government reports of the time indicated people sleeping as many as six to one bed. The sanitary conditions in early industrial cities were filthy as well.