Did the Industrial Revolution affect the way people lived and worked in the 19th Century for the better of the worse?

Explain your answers by providing examples.

Firstly, the Industrial Revolution was a time where new machines were invented and new sources of power were discovered to operate the machines.
The Industrial Revolution (1750-1850) started in Britain. It changed and transformed the way people lived and worked dramatically.

In the 18th century, making cloth by hand was a tedious process in Britain. Workers could only produce enough cloth for themselves, and did not have enough to sell for money. However, new machines like the spinning machine were invented. Another machine of the same type was known as the spinning jenny. The machines really changed the way goods were produced and shortened the production time. Less labour was needed, as the workers need not make the cloth by hand with the old, slow methods.

As these machines were located in the factories, the workers began to work in the factories than at home. Using machines meant that the Europeans could produce their goods cheaply in great quantities, and yet, at a faster rate. Sinced raw materials were needed, they turned to Asia, and this boosted and increased the number of people who could work, as they would mass produce raw materials to send to Europe.

Another important invention was created - the steam-engine. Coal was burnt in the steam-engine to turn water into steam. The pressure from the steam provided the energy for machines to produce goods in great quantities. Very soon, the use of these important machines spread to other parts of Europe.

Following the discovery of the steam-engine came railway trains and steamships. These enables people to travel longer journeys in a shorter period of time to look for markets and raw materials.

Because the steamship was invented, Europeans could now sail to the East to obtain raw materials and find markets to sell their goods. It resulted in more ships visiting Singapore and led to a increase in the trade.

From the 1880s, many European and American steamships made Singapore their port-of-call, where their ships would stop and the tanks would get refuelled. Steamships were also used to transport goods and Singapore's position as a port gained importance.

As the steamships arrived, the letters which previously took about four to five months to arrive from Europe in those days, shortened to about five weeks. With the shorter time taken to deliver the letters, Singapore came into closer contact with Britain and other countries.

However, during the Industrial Revolution, child labour became more popular as the employers liked the idea that a child could be paid less and since machines were used, the labour did not make much difference. The children were made to work in unfavourable conditions - unsanitary, unhygienic places where it was dirty and unsuitable for people to work in. It was also dangerous - some children were asked to tug coal tubs up the mine shafts.

Men were also paid more than women. It was unfair to the women as they had factory work and domestic chores, which included house care. Because they were working, home life suffered.

There was also a polluted environment then, as factories emitted alot of smoke.

People became more realistic, and wanted more material gains, spending money on things they did not need, probably just showing off to others they had the money to spare, and did not have to slog to earn the amount of money, compared to other people.

With all the information given above, I think that the Industrial Revolution affected the lifestyle of Singapore for the better because she became a popular port-of-call and a collection point and distribution point for goods. But, the Industrial Revolution affected the way people lived and worked in other countries for the worse.