 Hello learners! I am Chainika Roy from the discipline of English, Krishnakanta Handik State Open University and I welcome you all to this video lecture on the topic industrialism and its impact. In the first and second parts of the videos on this topic, we have dealt with the idea of industrialism along with an emphasis on pre-industrial times. We have also analysed the role of England and discussed the parameters with regard to the growth of industrial revolution there. In this video, we shall however focus on the socio-cultural aspects of industrial revolution. The main objectives of this video lecture are to explain the rise of the working class, to discuss the effects of the industrial revolution. Between 1870 and 1914, politics began to touch upon economics. Governments had begun to take interest in the growth of industries. The widening of the franchise as through the reform acts in England meant that the majority of the electorate would be poor and insecure. The quote-unquote tidal wave of western capitalism, which flooded the developed countries, ensured that the number of those who lived by earning wages for manual labour was greatly increasing. Even in predominantly agrarian countries, manufactured products were finding different markets. The spectacular increase in the number of wage workers led to the formation of recognisable labour classes, chiefly in the countries of old established industries as well as in the countries which were newly industrialising in Europe, North America, Japan and some other areas of white settlement overseas. Here, we have to note the role of the reform act of 1832 passed by the English parliament, which helped to bring in a change in the franchise by widening the electorate. However, its scope was not essentially democratic as the artisans. The working classes and sections of the lower middle classes remained outside its ambit. In parliament, there was an apparent conflict of interests between the industrialists and the land-owning classes. The term middle classes began to be used in social-political debate. The new environment of factory-driven work led to a break with old and familiar ways of life. The new working-class people began to emerge. Trade unions acquired legal status and privileges that employers were compelled to contend with their organization in the workplace. From the last two decades of the 19th century, mass political parties based on the working class forced a new direction in politics. The industrial revolution changed the course of history. It has been the primary cause of many social, moral and political problems facing the world today. For instance, when the upsurge of the industrial revolution hit England, she was barely prepared to face the consequent problems of such a phenomenal growth of industries, cities and industrial areas. The working class, class strife, the rift between the upper class, bourgeois and the working class, the growth of slums, moral and economic degradation and the downside in human dignity and labour. As the industrial revolution progressed, slum towns grew without any kind of government control. It was a time of rampant individualism and the desire for quick money returns on the part of the mill and factory owners and aristocrats who distanced themselves from industrial sectors in their estates. This was an age where individual talent could grow and bring about radical and revolutionary changes. It was an age when investments grew manifold in no time. However, all this was possible at an immensely negative human cost. The industrial revolution in England coexisted with two important historical events. Those were, Britain lost the 13 American colonies and Napoleon was defeated. Both these events took a toll on England's economy and the poor masses were the ones to fill the pinch the most. This was also a time of immense increase in urban population. Most of the people of these towns, women and children included, worked and lived in appalling conditions in factories and slums. Their wages were meager and healthcare and sanitation were almost non-existent. On the one hand, there could be found a vast progress made in the industry, road and river transportation systems. And on the other, there was the regression in terms of quality and standard of life and human dignity. The industrial cities were unhygienic and did not provide proper facilities for the people. The industrial towns grew haphazardly without any planning at all. The overflow of population led to the building of brick houses back to back for workers without sanitation, drainage, proper lighting or ventilation. The new industrial cities were marked by stuffy factories with very rows of buildings and smoky chimneys. With regard to the living conditions, it was seen that the work in the factories continued under a strict work discipline and severe system of punishment. The old women and small children were also employed in these mills and factories. They had to work for a mere pittance in order to supplement the family's income. The replacement of men with machines had a pathetic effect since employment grew sparse, working conditions poor and wages meager. The conditions were all the more deplorable in the cotton textile industries at Yorkshire and Lancashire, as well as in the silk, knitting and lace making factories where most of the workers were women and children. Coal mines were another segment where there were large occurrences of accidents and deaths. The rate of death in these slums was large and longevity of life was reduced largely. Most of the deaths were caused by airborne or waterborne diseases like cholera, typhoid and tuberculosis. Life expectancy became drastically low for the workers of the factories. Complacency and indifference to the plight of the workers on the part of the aristocrats and the investors was a rule rather than an exception. Around this time, the ideas of laissez-faire leave things alone, let us alone, etc. gained popularity. The idea of free trade, trade managed not by the state and its regulatory rules but by the merchants and traders themselves, gained a boost, especially after the publication of Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations in 1776, the same year as America's War of Independence. In the meantime, the political and social ideas pioneered by the French Revolution and the ideals of liberty, equality and fraternity reached the English shores. Fired by these ideals, there emerged a protest movement and unified resistance to exploitation. One indication of the popular discontent was the leuded riots which broke out at intervals between the year 1810-20. One characteristic of these riots was the breaking of machinery by the rioteers. However, changes were sought to be brought by many reform laws. Subsequently, much change was brought about in the condition of workers through laws and acts. Some of the effects were the First Factory Act of 1802, Cotton Factory's Regulation Act of 1819, the Reform Act of 1832, the Factory Act of 1833 and so on. To sum up, it was a revolution that radically changed man's view of life. His access to modern amenities and his control over the resources of nature. It was a revolution that impacted the nature of family and household, the status of women and children. It was in fact much more than a mere economic or industrial change. It affected the very fabric of life, be it the sphere of agriculture, population growth, political awareness, gender awareness, child rights, trade union etc. I hope after watching this video, you can point out both the good and bad effects of the Industrial Revolution. Moreover, you will be able to relate your understanding of the Industrial Revolution to the rise of the working class. Thank you.