Scientists experimented and observed for the next 20 years. Louis Pasteur discovered that germs caused diseases. Thanks to his discovery scientists developed vaccines: James Lind discovered the treatment for scurvy; Von Behring prepared a vaccine for diphtheria and one discovery led to another. Local councils began to improve water supplies and sewers and this improved the health of people in towns.
The Industrial Revolution introduced us to the discoveries and achievements of the likes of vaccine pioneer Edward Jenner, James Lind, Louis Pasteur and William Withering, who is credited with introducing digitalis to medical science. Doctors in the 18th century overturned 2000 years of hearsay, speculation, and hope. They replaced it with science, with experiment and observation, and gave medicine a new scientific place in society. By 1900, the population sky rocketed to 42 million 4 times what it was 150 years ago but since then the death rate has fallen drastically and in every way Britain has become much better of in terms of health compared to what it was 150 years ago.
Anaesthetics were developed by a doctor in Japan and Britain became one of the first places where anaesthesia began to be used widely saving countless lives. The cycle continues as first the British man became wealthy but he also became sick. He later observed and experimented and found the solution to his problem. He is now healthy, rich and smart. All this was not possible without the great thinkers in the society who believed in the word ‘change’ and said “yes we can”, and brought about a revolution. A revolution that changed the way the society once thought. Britain brought about this change 100 years ago and even today there are countries who have not achieved the same. This is why this period of time in Britain is known as The Industrial revolution a period of socioeconomic and cultural change.
Education
Before the Revolution most people lived in small villages, working either in agriculture or as craftsmen. They lived and often worked as a family, doing everything by hand. In fact, three quarters of Britain's population lived in the countryside, and farming was the predominant occupation. With the advent of industrialization, however, everything changed. The new enclosure laws—which required that all grazing grounds be fenced in at the owner's expense—had left many poor farmers bankrupt and unemployed, and machines capable of huge outputs made small hand weavers redundant. As a result, there were many people who were forced to work at the new factories. This required them to move to towns and cities so that they could be close to their new jobs. As a result, women and children were sent out to work, making up 75% of early workers. Families were forced to do this, since they desperately needed money, while factory owners were happy to employ women and children for a number of reasons. First of all, they could be paid very little, and children could be controlled more easily than adults, generally through violent means. Children also had smaller hands, which were often needed to reach in among the parts of a machine. Furthermore, employers found that children were more malleable and adapted to the new methods much better than adults. Children were sent to work in mines, being small enough to get more coal and ore from the deep and very often unsafe pits. They could also be forced to work as long as eighteen hours each day. For these reasons, children as young as eight years old were sent to factories—usually those which manufactured textiles—where they became part of a growing and profitable business. So naturally very few children could go to school. In 1750 only the privileged children could got to school while others worked in factories. There were only 7 universities in Britain so few people even thought about higher education. Since workers, especially women and children, were labouring for up to eighteen hours each day, there was very little family contact, and the only time that one was at home was spent sleeping. People also had to share housing with other families, which further contributed to the breakdown of the family unit. As a result, children received very little education, had stunted growth, and were sickly. They also grew up quite maladjusted, having never been taught how to behave properly.
Thing seemed to change as 50 years later most middle class and upper class children who didn’t go to work went to school. But very few girls went. Elementary schools were set-up but families preferred their kids to earn some money instead. No universities had been built since the past 75 years when all this was brought in attention to the parliament they were quick to take action. The “1833 Factory Act’ stated that no child under the age of nine was to work in factories. For the next 40 years the government was slowly increasing the age limit to work in factories due to the possible pressure enforced by mill owners. But nevertheless young children were no longer allowed to work so they were sent to school instead and there they learnt how to read and write.
The Parliament was later forced to issue an Education Bill that made it compulsory for all children from the age of 5 to 12 years both boys and girls to go to school. The literacy rate improved drastically and so did the conditions of schools. More universities were built so that more children could opt for higher education and live their lives towards their chosen career.
I believe that the Industrial Revolution was a remarkable era where life as a whole transformed completely in the gap of those 150 years. The statistics tell you everything. The annual death rate fell from 28 deaths per 1000 people to just 18. The average life expectancy rose from 36 years to 72 years and the literacy rate quadrupled to 80%. I believe leaders should take an inspiration from this era and help recreate many other revolutions.
Revolutions that will change the world and make it a better place.