Living conditions in Industrial Britain Flashcards
(18 cards)
how did work life change in industrial Britain
people stopped working from homes and worked in factories and machinery in the countryside made supply of food easier
how did peoples ideas change in industrial Britain
the theory of evolution was accepted, religion declines and scientists discovered that germs caused disease
how did transport and technology change in industrial Britain
Railways with steam trains transported goods across the country, steam ships sailed with good to and from the British Empire
how did society change in industrial Britain
the middle classes had grown in number and power, the working classes were ignored as their living conditions worsened, in 1870, children under 10 were given free education
how did democracy change in industrial Britain
- increasing numbers of men were given the right to vote
- government recognised that it had to take more notice of the needs of the poorer people
where did people move from and to in industrial Britain
- From the countryside to the towns in search of work
- From Britain to the colonies of the Empire in search of a new life
- From town to town, by the railways
why were industrial towns and cities overcrowded
people migrated from the countryside looking for work, housing quality was poor and rent was high - families often lived in one room
what was the effect of overcrowded towns and cities
There weren’t enough privies so human waste flowed onto the streets, causing disease. Diseases like tuberculosis were common because of the damp walls in the poorly constructed houses
why was there no help for the poor
Richer people who ran the town councils did not want to see rate (taxes) increase to pay for water and waste facilities.
Government believed in ‘laissez-faire’ which said they should not interfere in peoples live
what were the effects of no help for the poor
working class men weren’t given the vote until 1867
there was no free healthcare - doctors and medicines had to be paid for and the poor couldn’t afford this so their health got worse
why was disease common in industrial towns
- Until 1861 people did not know about germs
- Many people had to drink dirty water and lived in close proximity to others
what were the effects of disease being common
- Disease spread quickly and people did not know why
- Life expectancy was low and infant mortality rate was high
where did water companies source their water from and what was the issue with this
sources it from ponds, rivers and streams and it was often dirty and unhealthy leading to typhoid and cholera
what was the disposal of waste like in industrial Britain
In areas of cheap housing, the sewers could not cope with the amount of human waste. Privies collected waste which built up until it was emptied or overflowed - in a typical streets, over 10 families shared one privy
what were the improvements of disposal of waste
Some better sewers were built but the waste emptied into the river where water companies got their ‘fresh’ water from
what did the typical industrial working class diet look like
potatoes, bread, butter, beer and tea - no vegetables led to malnutrition and there were high carbs, needed for long hours of labour
what was adulteration
the mixing of foods with other products
what was wrong with the cheap meat on offer to the underprivileged
it was sometimes from diseased animals
