INDUSTIR;A

Cult of Domesticity and Agricultural Revolution

• Definition: Cult of domesticity idealized women's roles at home, advertising promoted these societal expectations.

• Agricultural Revolution (1700s):

  • Primarily occurred in Great Britain and Western Europe.

  • New crops from the Columbian Exchange (e.g., potatoes) increased food supply.

  • Technological innovations like crop rotation and seed drill improved farming efficiency.

  • Resulted in longer life expectancy and population growth.

  • Britain's proximity to coal deposits valued it for early industrial activities.

  • Maritime empire allowed access to raw materials (timber from North America, cotton from India).

Industrial Revolution Emergence

• Mechanization and Urban Migration:

  • Decreased labor needs on farms led to migration of rural workers to urban areas.

  • Creation of industrial cities due to factory work.

  • Significant cities: Manchester and Liverpool.

• Capital Accumulation:

  • Wealth derived from factory work and the Atlantic Slave Trade led to increased investments.

  • Entrepreneurs invested in emerging industrial enterprises.

Impact of Industrial Revolution

• Negative Effects:

  • Division of classes and gender roles, poor living quality, worsening factory conditions.

  • Urbanization led to overcrowding; tenements lacked sanitation and facilitated disease spread.

  • Proletariat lived in slums as the bourgeoisie accumulated wealth from industrial gains.

• Social Commentary:

  • Karl Marx critiqued class divisions in "The Communist Manifesto" (1848).

  • Highlighted plight of the working class versus the bourgeoisie.

• Women's Roles:

  • Proletariat women faced harsh labor conditions and lower pay compared to men.

  • Higher classes formed opinions on women’s roles, leading to the rise of the cult of domesticity.

Economic Aspects of Industrialization

• Shift to Capitalism:

  • Industrialization facilitated capitalism; employers disregarded worker treatment.

  • Child labor prevalent with children facing significant workplace dangers.

  • Workers, including children, worked 14-16 hour days, 6 days a week with no protections.

  • Hazardous machinery and chemicals led to injuries and diseases such as tuberculosis.

• Public Awareness:

  • 1832, Micheal Saddler produced the Saddler Report revealing harsh factory realities.

  • Labor unions organized to combat working conditions secretly under government oversight.

  • Mass production benefitted capitalists and exacerbated wealth inequality, enriching the bourgeoisie.

Global Economic Shifts

• Impact of Mass Production:

  • Increased consumerism led to greater pollution levels as industrial output rose.

  • British textile mechanization negatively affected India’s textile industry dominance.

  • Comparatively, German steel industries surpassed British, and France’s luxury goods declined against Chinese industries.

• Geopolitical Consequences:

  • Industrialization ascended in Britain, U.S., Germany, and France while India, China, the Ottoman Empire, and Spain faced decline, highlighting global disparities.