Industrialization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Industrialization - Essay Example They could not meet all their needs. The standards of living remained low, especially the areas of residents that were mere shelters. The workers remained at work for long hours and were exposed to workplace injuries since they were not provided with protective clothing. Accidents could occur and many of them succumbed to injuries. There was no compensation for injuries in the workplace. However, a worker could sue the employer, an action that many avoided since the chances of winning such law suits were slim. The workers usually took with them their children to work, and child labor was pronounced in the turn of the 20th century. Due to the law wages, they would combine their earnings with that of their children for them to meet their family needs. Even with the long hours of work that used to be as many as 53 hours per week, there was no assurance that the workers could remain in employment for many days. There was no continuity of employment throughout the year and therefore they could move from one industry to the other. The industrial revolution largely affected the average American worker’s leisure time especially as most of the time was spent try to meet high output. They had little control of their time as the employers are the ones who controlled the number of hours to be worked per day. This largely affected the work-life balance of the workers as they could not have enough time for their families. In general, the industrial revolution in the turn of the 20th century had a negative impact on the lives of the average American workers. Many changes were involved in moving from an agricultural to an industrial economy. Many of the people were farmers, which was the major economic activity. The major change that occurred was to transform the population from farming activities to workers in the upcoming industries. This was accomplished by mechanizing agriculture and