Social & Economic trends,
1830-1850, p.1
Re-establishment of GB’s Atlantic trade supremacy-textiles, iron goods, shipbuilding
use of coal facilitates the expansion of steam engines & RRs in GB & continent
rural conversion to liberal economy is problematic, despite freedom for serfs
Irish potato famine kills @500,000 - many more emigrate to US
economic activities of period lead to the development of an organized working class
Social & Economic trends,
1830-1850, p.2
"proletarianization" of the workforce: complete transition to a wage-based, structured workplace
guilds and other labor organizations face resistance by liberal politicians
GB: 1830’s-Chartists seek to reform political process by expanding suffrage, facilitating workers’ entry into House of Commons
child labor also an issue-leads to the English Factory Act of 1833
Social & Economic trends,
1830-1850, p.3
IR often led to a more consistent domestic role for women upon marriage
Yet, new technology lead to greater numbers of working women by 1830
single women (of various ages) are employed in factories & mills of the age
sexual exploitation of female workers increases
Social & Economic trends,
1830-1850, p.4
IR has great impact on marriage and family life in the early 19th century
marriage becomes less formal and more personal as urbanization introduces young men and women to more variety
industrial life standardizes homemaking as the specific role of married women, as work separated from home
children viewed as little wage-earners?
Early 19th C: new theories of economics, politics, society
Malthus & Ricardo: living standards tied to population growth, reproduction rates of the working class - effect popular culture
New ideas emerge in various forms:
utopianism: Saint-Simon ("technocracy", Owen & New Lanark (cooperative communities), Fourier & phalanxes
anarchism: seek to destroy state & small, egalitarian enterprise
Marxism
Karl Marx - German bourgeois background-from Rhineland
Marx & Engels develop communism -"abolition of private property"
class struggle is basis of history
capitalism--exploits workers who grow increasingly unified and revolutionary
19th C: bourgeois vs. proletariat
class revolution inevitable culmination to human history
one-class, property-less, egalitarian society is the result