In addition, to the poor health conditions in Manchester, the industrialization caused very poor living conditions. One of the main concerns was pollution. A picture of the living conditions is presented by The Graphic, a weekly magazine in the 1870s which dealt with social issues. Doc. 11 shows a dark and polluted environment. This source could also be questioned due to the fact that it comes from a magazine that deals with social issues. It could most likely be propaganda to make the city look worse than it actually is in order to shock people and encourage social reforms. In doc. 2, Robert Southey, an English romantic poet felt that the city was filled with narrow streets and blackened with smoke that had no beauty. Also in doc. 4, Francis Anne Kemble, a poet and dramatist who seems to support Southey felt a “dangerous spirit of discontent among the grim and grimy crowd”. Both documents are from artists who as romanticists would have loved nature and despised industrialization so their opinions could be questioned. Their opinions are supported by two foreign visitors from France. Alexis de Tocqueville and Flora Tristan, a French socialist and women’s right advocate both found evidence of filthy sewers and physical suffering and moral degradation. (Docs. 5 and 7) Their opinions could be questioned because of intense rivalry between these countries, the two visitors are from France and possibly hard feelings between Tocqueville and Tristan.
Although the social issues raised by the growth of Manchester were seen in a majority of the documents, there were some who saw the economic benefits from this rapid industrialization. For example, in doc. 3, Thomas Macaulay, a liberal member of Parliament and historian, felt that people “were better fed, better lodged, better clothed and better looked after as a result of the national wealth crated by industrialization”. Sarcastically he suggests that although the country may be prettier than the city that in fact the common people’s life wasn’t any better there but worse. His opinion as a newly elected liberal politician and member of the middle class would suggest that he favors free enterprise as espoused by Adam Smith and would prefer economic development over social issues raised by his political adversaries the reformers or socialists and thus must be considered slightly biased. Another example of the economic benefits is seen in (doc.9) a preface to a business directory produced by Wheelan and Co. In 1852, Manchester is cited as the “workshop of the world” with many remarkable and attractive features. One could be skeptical as this document is published as Manchester is being granted a Royal Charter in 1852. Another, positive view on the growth of Manchester is seen in doc. 10. William Alexander Abram, a journalist and historian wrote in 1868 that the industrialization of Manchester benefited the people because it provided public parks, libraries, happiness and culture. He also suggests that sickness and morality have been reduced incredibly. Abram is writing after many social reforms have taken place such as the Factory Act in 1833. The Factory Act limited the factory workday for children 9 to 13 to 8 hours and 14 to 18 to 12 hours.
There were many social problems and economic benefits caused by the rapid growth and industrialization of Manchester. Some social problems included health and well being. People died early due to unsafe working and living conditions. It appears that the Industrial Revolution was an overall benefit to Britain. Wages and living conditions did improve drastically over the one hundred years between 1750 and 1850. The industrialization of Great Britain allowed it to become a world leader and changed history of the world.
