Industry | Ahumahi

 What was the Industrial Revolution?

The 1700s, 1800s and 1900s were a time of massive industrial growth. Inventors had found new ways of harnessing nature’s energy and created machines powered by water, steam and coal. These machines replaced hand-powered tools that did the same work, only cheaper and faster. Fuel, clothing, and food were becoming more affordable; however, with the mass production of goods, more workers were needed to make more profit. Some people became quite rich as a result but most citizens or the new “working class” were treated unfairly, working in poor conditions.

Factories started springing up, people lost their jobs because they couldn't compete with how fast and easily factories made things. As a result there was shift in population from rural areas to the cities to get jobs. Skilled tradesmen were no longer needed- factory owners wanted cheap labour and operating the machines didn’t require much skill.  

How did it impact people?

Read through this as a class. What was life like for children during the Industrial Revolution?