Class Struggles in 19th Century England

Paper Summary:

An examination of the chaos existing in 19th century England and the causes and consequences. The paper states that England's development of a dual class struggle -middle class vs. aristocracy and working class vs. middle class - arose for several reasons. The most immediate and obvious cause was the industrial revolution, which impacted the country economically, socially, and politically.

From the Paper:

"The year 1850 found England in the midst of some remarkable transitions. First, in the wake of the Industrial Revolution, England was in the process of evolving from being an agrarian society into being an industrial one. In fact, the year 1851 would mark the first year when the number of people in England's cities and towns was greater than the number of people in her rural areas (Hibbert 67).

"Second, for the first time in the country's history, the landowners, also known as the gentry or aristocracy, found themselves losing political ground and cultural influence to the middle class. The Middle Class, strengthened by the Industrial Revolution, had battered its way into the House of Commons and successfully passed several reform measures, such as the Prison Act, and the Lunacy Act, measures that the aristocracy would not have undertaken if left to their own devices."

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