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Chapter 21 Section 2
Main Idea: The IR changed how and where people worked, and it also changed the working and living conditions.
Production Before Factories -Pre-IRàwork done in the home (cottage industry) -All work controlled by the worker (family members) -Could work fast or slow (were own boss) -Problems -Fire/flood could ruin family -Doing all the work was hard work (adults only) -Took a long time to learn all the skills to do all the work
Factories and Factory Towns -Working Conditions -Child labor, long hours, low pay, dangerous -Factory towns -Towns sprung up around factories -Some companies provided housing (company towns) -Burning coal was dirtyàpeople lived next to factories -Living conditions were very poor
The Factory System -Factories required lots of money (capital) -Wealthy business people invested money / owned factories -Mid-level employees ran the factories -Poor worked the machines -Low pay for workers -Owners wanted to make a lot of profit (pay workers less) -Huge supply of workers -Hired women / kids (cheaper) -Some cottage workers got mad -Their products weren’t selling (cost more than factory goods) -Some turned to violence -Improving working conditions -No laws regarding working conditions -Early 1800sàBritish workers started labor unions -Went on strike to force changes -Slowly things changed -Laws passed -Middle class grew -Managers, accountants, mechanics -Needed to make the factory be successful Mass Production -Factories could make things fast and cheap -Mass production -Factories used “interchangeable parts” -More efficient -Before: everything hand-made, unique -Assembly line made factories more efficient -Effects -Good: More products at a cheaper price -Bad: Work is very repetitive (boring)
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