Formation of the Working Class

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that the industrial revolution could not have grown and flourished without the formation of the working class. The paper points out that the working class facilitated the mass production of goods that was so vital to the industrial revolution and that it was exactly the deplorable working and living conditions of this labor class that allowed factory owners and investors to reinvest in their businesses and further the advance of industry.

From the Paper:

"While artisan guilds and small cottage industries had been in existence since the Middle Ages, the need for industrial workers was a different issue. The number of workers needed to create the volume of production the expansion and forward development the industrial revolution needed required the restructuring of society. In the early years of the industrial revolution, the industrial units were similar to expanded family units. Extended family members worked together much as they had in the home to create a particular product. Sometimes this unit also included the family of two or three business partners as well. The salaries were kept to a minimum in order for the profits to be reinvested in the expansion of the business. As these businesses grew, the industrial unit became similar to a colonial settlement with supporting industries in close proximity. Also as these businesses grew the expansion brought a need for additional workers. In order to attract workers, businesses also had to include work opportunities for spouses and even children. Without attracting more workers, there would have been no available labor force to expand production."

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• Analytical Essay # 31281 : "The Limits of Labour"

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