Industrialization, Urbanization, Labor & New Political Theories

1. Industrialization, Urbanization, Labor & New Political Theories Ms. Garratt Honors World History Pages 100-107

2. Working Class • Factory workers • Women • Children • Labor conditions • 14-16 hours work days • Low wages • Hazardous conditions • No compensation for injuries • Women & children paid less • Patience Kershaw’s story

7. Adam Smith and Laissez-Faire Economics • Physiocrat who believed in no gov regulation or interference with the forces of supply and demand (S/D) • Believed that natural laws (S/D) governed the economy • Free market would result in lower prices. • Lower prices would increase consumerism. • Growing economy would provide jobs. • Greater prosperity would encourage greater capital investments

8. Thomas Malthus & Population • Theory that population would outpace food supply • The only checks on this would be war, disease & famine. • Urged population control. • Incorrect theory, resources have kept up with population

10. David Ricardo: The Iron Law of Wages • When wages are high families have more children. • More children increased the supply of labor which causes wages to decrease. • Also leads to greater unemployment and misery for working classes

11. Jeremy Bentham & Utilitarianism • Believed in government intervention. • Goal of society should be “the greatest happiness for the greatest number” • Laws should be judged by their “utility” whether or not they promoted happiness or pain?

12. John Stuart Mill • Disciple of Bentham • Laws or actions were good if they promoted happiness; wrong if they produced pain • Favored government • intervention . • Supported greater suffrage for women & workers so they could gain political influence & work for reforms

13. Methodism • John Wesley • Religious revival mid- 1700s • Adoption of sober way & moral ways • Salvation • Helped channel frustration & anger from revolution to social reform

14. New Middle Class • Benefitted from IR • Came from 3 groups: • Merchants & entrepreneurs • Inventors • Skilled artisans • New standard of living • New way of life

15. Socialism Opposed laissez-faire Condemned industrial capitalism as a tool of the rich Advocated that “people as a whole” or the government should own and operate the “means of production” (industries, railroads, factories, etc.) instead of private individuals.

16. Utopianism • Early Socialists • Self-sufficient communities • Share all property • Based on Thomas More’sUtopia • Robert Owen was mill owner • Built New Lanark as community where workers lived well • Did not allow child labor & encouraged labor unions.

17. Robert Owen’s New Lanark

18. Karl Marx & Scientific Socialism

19. Socialism >Communism History determined by economics All history is a history of class struggle The bourgeoisie own the “means of production” & control wealth The proletariat are exploited working class Predicted a class struggle in which the proletariat would triumph. Proletariat would establish a classless society in which wealth & power would be equally distributed.

20. Communist Manifesto Reading

21. Why Marxism Failed? History based on scientific laws? Assumptions were wrong Predictions never came to fruition. Opposite occurred (sol) Unity among workers v. nationalism. Reforms gained through participation in the political process not revolution Russia, Cuba, China….communism was forced upon people