Economic Advance and Social Unrest (1830-1850)

1. Great Britain’s Industrial Dominance

1. Statistical Measures of British Prosperity, 1850

1. Manufactured one-half of the world’s cotton
2. Mined two-thirds of the world’s coal
3. Mined more than one-half of the world’s iron
4. Controlled one-third of the world’s international trade

2. The Great Exhibition, 1851

1. The exhibition was held to celebrate Britain’s undisputed economic and technological dominance.
2. Britain’s Hall of Machinery featured the locomotive engines, hydraulic presses, and power looms that had powered the Industrial Revolution.

3. Making Comparisons: The Crystal Palace and the Arc De Triomphe

1. The Crystal Palace in London
   1. Commissioned to celebrate British leadership in the industrial age
   2. Enclosed 18 acres and almost 1 million square feet of exhibition space
   3. Featured prefabricated glass panels and cast-iron columns
   4. Demonstrated the possibilities of mass production
2. The Arc de Triomphe in Paris
   1. Commissioned to celebrate French victories during the Revolution and the Age of Napoleon
   2. Based on the triumphal arches of ancient Rome
   3. Combined a Neoclassical arch with romantic relief sculptures
   4. Reached a height of 164 feet, making it the largest arch ever built

2. Social Effects of Industrialization

1. The Factory System

1. The factory was a place where large numbers of workers used machines to manufacture goods.
2. As the factory system spread, the putting-out system disappeared.

2. Working-Class Misery

1. Early factories exposed workers to dangerous machines and deadly diseases.
2. The demand for cheap labor led to the widespread employment of women and young children.
3. Workers had no health insurance and little job security.

3. Urbanization

1. The factory system transformed many small towns into crowded cities. For example, between 1760 and 1850, the population of Manchester surged from 45,000 to 300,000.
2. Between 1800 and 1850, the number of European cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants rose from 22 o 47.
3. Workers lived in crowded slums that lacked sanitation. Entire families lived in a single dark room.

4. Middle-Class Prosperity

1. The middle classes, or bourgeoisie, enjoyed unprecedented prosperity, political power, and leisure time.
2. The haute bourgeoisie included wealthy bankers, merchants, and industrialists.
3. The petite bourgeoisie included shopkeepers, skilled artisans, professional men, and the clergy.

5. The Chartist Movement

1. Britain’s disenfranchised workers demanded more sweeping reforms.
2. In 1838, working-class leaders drew up a People’s Charter that demanded universal manhood suffrage, a secret ballot, equal electoral districts, and the abolition of property requirements for membership in the House of Commons.
3. Despite widespread public support, Parliament adamantly refused to consider the Chartists’ proposals. It is important to note that most of the Chartist reforms would be ultimately adopted.