Did the industrial revolution affect the way people lived and worked in the 19th century for the better or worse? Explain your answer by providing examples.


The invention of new machines and the discovery of new sources of power to drive these machines brought about changes that led to the Industrial Revolution (1750 to 1850) These changes did transformed the way people lived and worked. There was an invention which had greatly changed peoples' lives was the invention of 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 machines spread to the rest of Europe, speeding up activities to produce great quantities of goods. As these machines were located in factories, workers bagan to work in factories instead of working at home. The use of machines meant that the Europeans could produce their goods cheaply in great quantities and at a faster rate. Raw materials were needed to manufacture these goods. The Europeans also needed new markets outside their own countries to sell their goods. At the same time, railway trains and steamships were invented following the discovery of the steam-engine. People could travel longer distances in shorter period of time to look for markets and raw materials. This resulted in more ships visiting Singapore and led to the growth in trade.There was a new trade route to cut down the time taken to travel from London to Singapore. There was a new trade route which was a short-cut to travel to Singapore.This saved a lot of time. The trade increased too trememdously. Ferdinand de Lesseps contributed by drawing up plans to avid sea route around Africa by cutting a long canal to link the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea. This was the new route which made trading more convenient. Generally the Industrial Revolution affected the way people lived and worked in the 19th century for the better.