The Industrial Revolution in Britain transformed the country from a rural agricultural society to an urban industrial one. This caused great changes to people's way of life and social systems. Factories employed many workers, including women and children, under difficult conditions like 14-hour work days with low pay and unsafe conditions. Rapid urbanization resulted in overcrowded, unsanitary slums. Workers had few legal rights and could not unionize at first, though conditions gradually improved over the 1800s with new laws regulating factories and expanding voting rights.

5. Industrial Revolution changed Britain from a basically rural and agricultural based
society to a predominantly urban and industrial society. In addition to the changes in
way people used technology, the Industrial Revolution also caused great changes in
people's way of life, and the social systems. These changes can be attributed to several
factors including Greater and cheaper production of many goods including many new
products which mad life easier of people, the increasing importance of capital in
production, need for centralized location of production activities, and deskilling of work.

7. The close relationship that often existed between employers and
employees under earlier system, became impossible in the large
factories of the which developed as a result of Industrial Revolution.
The working day in factories than - about 12 to 14 hours a day for six
days a week - was about same as that existed earlier. But because
of needs to keep the machines running for the maximum time
employees were forced to work faster and without rest.

9. The working day in factories than - about 12 to 14 hours a day for six days a week -
was about same as that existed earlier. But because of needs to keep the machines
running for the maximum time employees were forced to work faster and without
rest.
Jobs became more specialized, and the work monotonous. As the production using
old technologies became comparatively uneconomical, artisans lost their traditional
means of livelihood and were forced to work in factories at very low wages. Women
and children who also worked as unskilled labourers earned even lower wages a
small fraction of men's low wages. Children as young, as under 10 years of age, also
worked in factories resulting in great damage to their health.

11. Rapid urbanization was
not accompanied by
development of proper
housing. This resulted in
development of
overcrowded slums
where people lived in
extremely unsanitary
conditions causing many
diseases. This was not
good...

13. Workers were not permitted to vote and could do little legally
to improve their condition. In Britain law forbade workers
from joining trade unions. But some workers did form trade
unions and also went on strike or rioted.
However the conditions of the working class improved
gradually during the 1800's. Law forbidding trade unions were
repealed and new laws regulating factory conditions to ensure
better working conditions were passed. A Reform Bill passed
in 1932, gave most middle-class men the right to
vote. Another Bill, passed in 1867, granted voting rights to
many city workers and owners of small farms.