Difference Between Industrial Revolution And Standard Of Living

The standard of living debate was tied in with the industrial revolution. This was a time of great change for England and the effects of this began to spread throughout the rest of the world. Not only were machines beginning to take over the agricultural life, an income was beginning to be flowed in and out through the people, instead of many bartering for goods and services. This change effected many people, some for the good, but for many it was not a change in their favor. The standard of living was great in theory and changed many lives for the better in the short term, but not for the long term. The Industrial revolution and the standard of living was bound to happen sooner or later. With populations growing all over the world, and people free thinking, growth and change are needed and is essentially inevitable in any society. If change never happened we would all still be living in caves, but instead we have evolved over many years, and still are growing to this day. So as population goes up and changes are made, more is wanted or needed …show more content…
Although through child labor, and horrible working conditions the middle class was able to reap the benefits that the working class would never get. I agree fully with this quote from, The Conditions of The English Working Class, by Friedrich Engels, “The only difference between the old-fashioned slavery and the new is that while the former was openly acknowledged the latter is disguised. The worker appeared to be free because he is not bought and sold outright. He is sold piecemeal by the day, the week, or the year. Moreover he is not sold by one owner to another, but he is forced to sell himself in this fashion. He is not the salve of a single individual, but of the whole capitalist class” (163). This is just so true even to this day, we are slaves to the