"Industrial Revolution and the Boom of the Middle Class"

?Industrial Revolution and the Boom of the Middle Class Abstract Industrial revolution has brought revolutionary changes in human life. The living standards of the public have advanced tremendously because of industrial revolution. Originated in United Kingdom, industrial revolution started to spread all over the world from the eighteenth century onwards. Even though the entire public got the benefits of industrial revolution, the middle class appeared to be the prominent community who reaped the harvest more than any other community. This paper briefly explains the boom of facilities received by the middle class community as a result of the industrial revolution. Industrial Revolution and the Boom of the Middle Class “The Industrial Revolution started in England around 1733 with the first cotton mill. A more modern world had begun. As new inventions were being created, factories followed soon thereafter”(IR Web information page, n. d). “It moves people from the countryside into rapidly expanding towns. It turns labour into a disciplined and mainly indoor activity, with an increasing distinction between owners, employers and managers on one side and workers on the other” (HISTORY OF THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION, n. d). Industrial revolution started to rise on the horizon from the 18th century onwards when major changes happened in areas like agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transport and technology. Industrial revolutions started in United Kingdom and slowly it spreads to all over Europe, America and to the entire world. Industrial revolution was a major turning point in human history as the entire life activities changed drastically because of it. The average income of the people started to double because of the industrial and agricultural growth. Middle class community was the major beneficiaries of Industrial revolution as their living standards and life philosophies changed a lot as a result of industrial revolution. Middle class & Industrial revolution Before the industrial revolution started, there were only the rich and poor in the global community. The rich people ruled the world and they used the poor people to make more and more wealth. In other words the poor people forced to work for the rich people without adequate wages or benefits. Their living conditions were pathetic and miserable. The entry of industrial revolution has brought one more segment in the global community which is the middle class. In fact the middle class people were the ones who rose from the poor class as a result of Industrial revolution. The poor working class who were earlier working in the agricultural sector, started to work in the factories as a result of industrial revolution. Moreover, they started to acquire certain skills as a result of industrial revolution and started to work in different factories, banks and other offices which offer higher wages to them. Craftsmanship was a term which was originated as a result of industrial revolution. The move toward urbanization, the “new” or second Industrial Revolution, and increased consumerism all played significant roles in middle class development. In some countries this was more rapid, such as in England, known as a nation of “shop-keepers and merchants.” Further, class consciousness in Europe evolved differently from that in the United States where an upper class of plutocrats associated with industrial monopolies developed and where no traditional aristocracy held sway to remind society of a once powerful Old Regime (Streich, 2009). Industrial and economic revolutions which were the bi-products of technological revolutions have changed the life of the middle class drastically. For example, the discovery of steam engine brought faster means of transportation which helped the people to explore new opportunities even at the distant places. Same way the invention of Morse code in 1837 revolutionized the way of distant communication. The advancements in communication helped the development of industry immensely and industrial units were started to develop across the world as a result of the industrial revolution. Lucy (n. d) has mentioned that “a sharp population increase was happening around the world at the same time the Industrial Revolution was gearing up” (Lucy, n. d).