Analyze the Economic and Social Basis of the Food Riot and the Industrial Revolution Between 1700 and 1830

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Similar to the food riot, the industrial revolution was triggered by the retrograding economic conditions and equally provoked by the social prospects. The industrial revolution initiated innovative manufacturing processes and replaced hand production by machines (Mathias, 2001: xiv). It first started in the United Kingdom because of the iron and coal supply, which were major resources for industrialisation and because it had various reliable water powers (Mathias, 2001: 42). In addition, the UK’s colonies supplied it with a great amount of raw materials, leading to the unfolding of the industrial revolution (Mathias, 2001: 94). That economically transitioned the UK from an agricultural society to an industrial society, which temporarily instigated an economic turmoil. In addition, the coal usage for power introduced heavy smoke and pollution in cities, which caused the spread of diseases such as cholera and acid fog (Mathias, 2001: 129). That affected the economy in two aspects as pollution in general lessens future investment in countries while non-pollution has economic value, and secondly, the spread of diseases weakens the economy and the society as a whole (Clapp, 2013:251) . As a result, labour union secretly formed because it was considered an act of repletion.

At the same time, the Industrial revolution had abating social consequences. It had a positive impact on the rich factory owners; yet, it was a downshift for the skill employees. By the 1800, the spinners and weavers became worthless because their skill was no longer needed. However, the machines that replaced them still needed people to operate them; hence, employers hired unskilled low-paid employees (O’Brein & Quinault, 1993: 230). As a result, wages dropped because a great number of people came from small villages and towns to work; thus, the high supply of employees caused a decrease in wages and employees’ inability to discuss salaries nor better conditions (O’Brein & Quinault, 1993: 234). The average factory employee worked for 70 hours per week, which was more hours than the slavery era, and some workers were not even paid in money but in tokens that could only be used in a store owned by the employers (O’Brein & Quinault, 1993: 56-97). On top of that, machines were not well-produced at the time, which jeopardized workers’ safety and resulted in numerous injuries that ultimately led to workers being fired without any medical care nor any compensation (Smelser, 1959: 264). Jobs were generally not secured, meaning that workers were easily fired (Smelser, 1959: 218). Adults were not the only ones who suffered poor working conditions and obtained low salaries at the time, child labour became popular on the basis that it was technically free labour. In the beginning of the 1800s, 32.5% of young boys and 12.2% of young girls aged 10-15 were in the labour force(Smelser, 1959: 218). In 1830, a ten-year-old girl explained that she was paid two pounds a week and that the working hours extended from five o’clock in the morning till seven in the evening (Smelser, 1959: 218). According to Edward F. Brown, children were also often beaten up while adults could react because it would cost them their jobs (Hindman, 2002: 326). Children’s shift from education to labor increased factories’ owners’ profit; but, it negatively affected children’s future and the country’s economy as a whole. During this era, people commonly lived in inhumane conditions; families were often packed in one room that did not have windows, had no running water, and did not have access to private bathrooms (Smelser, 1959: 258). Each tenement or small living quarter was used by twelve people. In today’s living standards, that space is only suitable for one person. As per the mentioned conditions, the social aspects were a recognizable base to such popular protest as the industrial riot; yet, an equally contribution factor was the economic conditions.

The industrial riot started on the basis of economic aspects which lay on wage slavery, transition from an agricultural society to industrial society causing the government to not knowing how to respond and the disconnection between factory employers and employees. As expected the industrial revolution only negatively effected the poor making them poorer, factory workers, and lower class. To Start with, machines replaces many skilled workers (O’Brein & Quinault, 1993: 230). The shift from agriculture production to industrial led to a boring repetitive job cause a decrease in human satisfaction. Another major shift was the lose of employe’s independence (Floud & Humphries & Johnson, 2014: 212). During the time, employers could hire or fire whoever they want causing a destability in the employe’s life. A factor that positively increased the factory owner’s profit but negatively effected the social economy as a whole was child labour. Children suffered from major injures as a result of the manual labour, in addition to the lose of education and diseases from the unsafe cites (Cunninghman. 1990: 119). Child labour was mainly introduced because employers wanted people whiling to accept lower wages and longer hours (Cunninghman. 1990: 122). Also, small hands were required to work the mills (Cunninghman. 1990: 122). In addition, labour union were formed secretly because it was considered an act of repeltion. Therefore, not only the social aspects which influenced the industrial riot but an equal portion was a result of the economic basis.

As expected, both the economic and social deteriorating circumstances caused by the industrial revolution triggered a popular protest led by the Luddites, a group that was formed in 1811 and was commanded by a textile worker named Ned Ludd (Hjortshoj &Rahman & Taylor, 2013: 373). They are seen today as antagonists to technological innovations; however, their actions were in opposition to the idea of their replacement not to technological change (Hjortshoj &Rahman & Taylor, 2013: 378). In 1811, starting in Nottinghamshire and then spreading all across the United Kingdom, the Luddites destroyed machines and attacked their old employers (Hjortshoj &Rahman & Taylor, 2013: 396). They did that to protest against economic hardships, high prices, food shortage, and unemployment(Hjortshoj &Rahman & Taylor, 2013: 400). The government dealt with the Luddites by enforcing laws that prohibited protests and considered them illegal. As a result, in 1813, Luddites were imprisoned, executed, and deported as the government saw them as rebels who were attempting to overthrow it and take over power(Hjortshoj &Rahman & Taylor, 2013: 404).

To sum up, the economic and social relapsing circumstances in Britain between the 1700 and 1830 simultaneously led to the food and industrial riots, which overall