The views on the Industrial Revolution have always been divided. Arnold Toynbee, an English historian, viewed it as "a period as disastrous and terrible as any through which a nation ever passed" due to the hardships faced by workers and the rise of poverty. However, others argue that the Industrial Revolution brought major economic and social changes that modernized Britain and led to improvements in areas like life expectancy. While some benefited, others struggled with issues like unemployment, poor working conditions, and inequality. Overall, it was a time of great transition that changed Britain and laid the foundations for the modern world.

1. Homework 1
Shanit
BENDAVID
04/03/2011
Commonly, the Industrial Revolution is known as “the vast social and economic changes that
resulted from the development of steam-powered machinery and mass-production methods,
beginning in the late eighteenth century in Great Britain and extending through the nineteenth
century elsewhere in the world.”(1) The term Revolution is a key word here and has to be
qualified. Indeed, « a Revolution is a great change in conditions, ways of working, & beliefs that
affects a large number of people in a relatively short period of time » (2).However, it is important
to keep in mind that everything did not changed overnight. In fact, this evolution was the result of
a gradual process. Yet, all the changes that occured during this period were seen as somewhat
« abrupt » for the British society. Indeed, major changes occured during the Industrial Revolution,
and each changes had a deep effect on the British economy but also on people‟s lives.
Nevertheless, most of people agreed to recognize this period as a major turning point in human
history. However, « major turning point » does not take into account the positive or negative view
that people had on the subject. In fact, people's views on the subject varied greatly and the main
opposition on the matter turned out to be between social classes. In fact, a factory owner did not
have the same opinion on the Industrial Revolution than an average factory worker. During that
period, some voices raised to denounce the consequences of the Industrial Revolution like the
one of Arnold Toynbee who was « an English economic Historian well known for his social
commitment and desire to improve the living conditions of the working classes. ».(3) In Lectures
on the Industrial Revolution, Arnold Toynbee qualifies the Industrial Revolution as « a period as
disastrous and terrible as any through which a nation ever passed ». However, this vision of the
Industrial Revolution can seems surprising when we are aware of the changes and progress
accomplished during this period. Consequently, we may Wonder if the Industrial Revolution,
although considered as a major turning point in British history, was that beneficial for Britain and
its people. As a starting point, I shall examine Arnold Toynbee‟s view on the Industrial Revolution
that is to say a Revolution that happened to be disastrous in many ways. And finally, in order to
counter Toynbee‟s view on the Industrial Revolution, I will devote the second part of my study to a
period of great evolution that can not be denied and from which Britain & some of its people have
undeniably benefited from.
The views on the Industrial Revolution have always been divided. In fact,the idea that people had
about all these changes were clearly influenced by the social class they came from but also the
work that they had at the time. Arnold Toynbee was an English economist Historian so as far as
he was concerned, he was an intellectual aware of the problems of his time and the
consequences of the changes that occured at that time in Britain. Indeed, his opinion on the
Industrial Revolution was clearly asserted in his book Lectures on the Industrial Revolution.
According to him, the Industrial Revolution was « a period as disastrous and terrible as any

2. through which a nation ever passed ». This view, many people shared it notably the working class
but also the local farmers who lost their job as soon as the Revolution started.
Indeed, the modernization of agriculture led to the fact that less workers were needed since the
introduction of new machineries and thus, many people lost their jobs as « farmhands ». The
transition had been even more harder. In fact, Britian shifted from a manual labour based
economy to an economy based on machines and manufacturing, people moved from agriculture
to industries. Suddenly, labor became specialized, farmers were subjected to rules, they were
paid in wages and their entire lifestyle changed overnight.
Those same former farmers either lost their job, either they entered the « factory system » and
thus became factory workers. As Toynbee says, « production on a vast scale, (…) led to a rapid
alienation of the classes and to the to the degradation of a large body of producers. ». Indeed,
even though all these innovations led to increased productivity, the puttingout system was
gradually replaced by the factory system and the capitalist system put an end to « the homemade
system » and thus led to unemployment of local producers.
Consequently, former « home producers » became inevitably « factory workers » and entered
necessarily the working class.
When Toynbee talks about the « rapid alienation of the classes », he refers to the predictible
consequence of the unemployment that followed the introduction of new machineries, that is to
say that home workers became part of the working class and the notion of social classes became
more and more wide spread and invevitable. In fact, people‟s relationship to economy but also
people‟s lifestyle at the time was clearly defined by their social class. That is why Toynbee
underlines in his book the fact that « with a great increase of wealth was seen an enormous
increase of pauperism ». Indeed, whereas some became much more richer thanks to the
Industrial Revolution and even though the wealth of the country increased undeniably, pauperism
became an important social matter. Like Benjamin Disraeli says in « Sybil or the Two Nations »,
Britain became divided into two nations : the rich and the poor, underlining the great inequality
among Britain society due to the Industrial Revolution. First of all, it is important to keep in mind
that because of the industrial Revolution, many people lost their jobs and became unemployed.
Unemployment and « de-skilling » led to an increase of pauperism in Britain. In fact, many people
lost everything they had when the Industrial Revolution started and then became beggar.
However, workers notably factory workers were also concerned by pauperism. In fact, The
Industrial revolution also created misery.
As a matter of fact, factory workers‟ wages also decreased by the improvement of machinery.
Indeed, the money they received by items decreased whereas, thanks to higher productivity,
factory owners became richer. Actually, numerous were the men who earned a better living when
they used to work individually as farmers or skilled workers.
The wages‟ decrease forced the workers to live in the city centers and the slums for the poorest,
and as a result, « huge number of the working class died due to diseases spreading through the
cramped living conditions. ». (4) People could hope to live only until 29 years old in the 1830‟s
due to the harsh health & living conditions.
Moreover, pauperism came with hard working conditions for the factory workers. In fact, those
people who were used to be free and organized they labor time were now subjected to harsh
conditions, timing and new imposed workhabits.
The Industrial Revolution also led to the creation of child labour. Because times were pretty harsh
for the factory workers, children were encouraged by their parents to work in the workhouses in
order to bring a wage at home. However, the working conditions were hard and children were
underpaid. This became a major social matter too in Britain.
To a larger scale, people‟s mentalities also changed with the Industrial Revolution. Indeed,
people like Robert Owen who had a factory in New Lanark but who campained for factory
reformed underlined that people became selfish and obessed with wealth and climbing the social

3. ladder. That is the competition between the manufactures that led to the reduction of the working
class‟ wages but also the oppression of that class of people. Economic and material interest
became a major matter in British society at that time.
Arnold Toynbee‟s social commitment toward the working classes and his deep desire to improve
their living conditions pushed him to condemn the Industrial Revolution and to underlined all its
negative aspects. Yet, one must recognize that objectively, the Industrial Revolution was a period
of great evolution from which Britain and a part of its people clearly benefited from and which has
indeniably changed human history forever.
In fact, no one can deny the fact that the Industrial Revolution was a period of great evolution for
Britain. The term evolution happens to be more appropriate to the situation since everything did
not changed overnight. The changes were numerous and touched every part of the British society
and economy. However, at some point, Britain and its people clearly benefited from all these
changes.
Innovations happened to be numerous during this period. Indeed, the water power, the steam
power, the flying shuttle, the water frame, the creation of railway,the cotton indutriesetc….all
these innovations permitted to Britain to become the first industrialized country and to stay at the
head of the world for the rest of the 19th century.
As a matter of fact, all these innovations brought changes in people‟s lifestyle.
Urbanization was one of the main changes that occured at that time. In fact, during the Industrial
Revolution, new urban centers developed all over Britain and many people started to left the
countryside in order to find work in the manufactories. « In 1851, 50% of the population lived in
cities. Fifty years later, 77% of the population lived in the cities, in London as well as other big
cities like Manchester». (5)
Those cities turned out to be full due to the improvement in agriculture. In fact, thanks to the
agregarian revolution, increased food production was made possible and people were better fed.
Consequently, the number of people increased. In fact, « in 1695, the population of England and
Wales was 5,2 million. In 1861, the population increased significantly up to 20,1 million.» (6)
Futhermore, one of the major apects of the Industrial Revolution is that it created national wealth
and prosperity for the country. In fact, Britain became known as « the workshop of the world ».
The creation of road connexions led to a « boom » in the industries which led to imperial
expension and so forth to an expansion of British domination over its colonies but also the world.
Industries and trade became more and more important whereas agriculture decreased
significantly since it became less profitable to Britain.
Consequently, the Industrial Revolution created a feeling of pride among the British population.
Indeed, the Industrial Revolution was seen as a great sign of power since Britain has been the
first country to be industrialized. All these changes and innovations were seen as signs of social
& economic progress. This superiority was shown in exhibition like the Great Exhibition of the
Works of Industry of all Nations that took place in London in 1851. However, the Industrial
Revolution seen as a sign of economic but also social progress was specific to the elite‟s view.
Obviously, the working class did not shared the same opinion on the subject.
Moreover, the Industrial Revolution created a new class structure. Indeed, « by the end of the
eighteenth century, some families had made huge private fortunes » (7) and a new class of
people appeared : the middle class. The economic but also political power of the aristocracy
became challanged by this new class of people. Indeed, the middle class could vote thanks to the
Great Reform Act. People from the middle class earned their living from profits. They lived on
suburbs, were factory owners, doctors or even lawyers. The main difference with the working
class was that even though those people used to work, « they were engaged in intelectual work

4. rather than manual work like the factory workers» (8). The „labor aristocracy‟ was also « born »
during the Industrial Revolution.
Consequently, this new class of people created a new consumer culture in Britain. Indeed, at that
time, Brtiain became a nation of shopkeepers, recognized as the greatest place ever for
shopping. New consumers emerged during this period : the middling sort. In fact, consumption
was not restricted to the aristocracy only. The power of the landed aristocracy tended to decrease
whereas the power of trade and people who made their money through trade increased. The elite
was worried about this new consumption because it turned out to be more and more difficult to
make the difference between both, people coming from the aristocracy and the middle class.
Whatever one might say or think about this period, it is important to keep in mind that the
Industrial Revolution stays a major turning point in British history but also in the human history
since Britain‟s Industrial Revolution influenced the rest of the world. It is clear that this period has
not been advantagous for everyone and in every aspects especially for the working class who
has suffered greatly from the Industrial Revolution. Indeed, the changes that occured turned out
to be pretty rude for this class of people. However, thanks to people like Arnold Toynbee but also
Robert Owen who raised their voices against such injustice, the conditions of the working class
had been improved little by little notably through the establishment of Unions. Yet, one can not
deny that the Industrial Revolution brought a lot of beneficial changes and contributed to the
modernity of our present world. Each important changes in our history has brought its lot of good
things and bad things and the Industrial Revolution as a huge turning point in History brought its
lot too. Goods things often happens with bad things especially with phenomena of this scale.
When some win, some other have to lose, not everyone can benefit from the situation or the
changes that occur, it‟s the unfair nature‟s way.
References :
1. Academic Press Dictionary of Science and Technology
2. Oxford English Dictionary, definition « revolution »
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnold_Toynbee
4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial_Revolution#Standards_of_living
5. Cours du 28/01/2011 « II/ Demography and Urbanization »
6. Source : B.R Mitchell and P Deanne, Abstract of British Historucal Statistics,
Cambridge Univerisity Press, 1962, p6-7, 1867 London
7. « Industrial Revolution », An Illustarted History of Britain, David McDowann,
p 121 Longman édition
8. Cours du 04/02/2011 « The Middle Class »
+ Usage de mes cours du premier semestre sur le 18eme siècle et son
contexte.