Chapter 17 Blog

Chapter 17 went over the industrial revolution. For some reason I had previously assumed the industrial revolution began in America, so it was quite surprising to find that it actually started in Europe. Those that benefitted the most from the revolution were those of the upper middle class. They became factory and mine owners, bankers, and merchants. I did not like hearing about this because, this seems to be where the setup of rich management and poor workers began. I wish they had set up a more fair system that treated workers better and paid them fairly enough that the wage gap between the workers and owners was not so vast. Even the cities the working class lived in were unfavorable, with terrible sanitation, polluted water, and few public services.The conditions they worked in were also terrible, with no ventilation, paid vacations, or sick days. I can not imagine going to work in a congested and laborsome job just to come home to another unsanitary and uncomfortable place. I am just very grateful there are now regulations on worker’s rights. I am also realizing that for every luxury I am granted today, there is a history of struggle and improvement behind it. These were some key ideas chapter 17 inspired within me.