Industrial Revolution

Today we are completing the study on Revolutions.  The Industrial Revolution brought about changes in economics throughout Europe and eventually brought change to the rest of the world.  It began in England with the textile industry.  Along with the many economic benefits there were also negatives to the Industrial Revolution.  One negative was the health of the workers, most of which were women and children.  The following lesson looks at the textile industry and its effects on workers.

This lesson taken from sheg.standford.edu

Factory Life

Factory Life Original Documents

 

 

Guiding Questions:

Document A: Dr. Ward

1) (Sourcing) Why is Dr. Ward being interviewed by the House of Lords Committee?

2) (Close Reading) What does he mean when he refers to factories as “nurseries of disease and vice”?

3) (Close Reading) What evidence does Dr. Ward use to back his claim that factories were unhealthy and unsafe for children?

Document B: Dr. Holme

1) (Sourcing/Corroboration) How is the source information for this document similar to and different from document A?

2) (Close reading) What evidence does Dr. Holme use to back his claim about the health of children in factories? Do you think this is convincing evidence?

3) (Close reading) Why might it matter that Mr. Pooley asked Dr. Holme to examine the children at his factory?

4) Which document, A or B, do you think is more trustworthy? Why?

Document C: John Birley

1. (Sourcing) What type of document is this? When was it written?

2. (Sourcing) How old was John Birley when this account was published?

3. (Corroboration) Which document, A or B, does this account more closely match?How?

4. (Close reading) Why did John Birley not tell the truth about life working in the mill to the inspectors?

Document D: Edward Baines

1. (Sourcing) Who wrote this article? When was it written?

2. (Sourcing) Why did Baines write this article?

3. (Close reading) What does he mean in the third paragraph, when he states, “But abuse is the exception not the rule”?

4. (Close reading) What is Baines’ main point in the final paragraph?

5. (Corroboration) Which document, A or B, does this account more closely match? How?

6. Who do you think is a more trustworthy source, Birley or Baines? Why?

Making a Claim:

Do you think that English textile factories were bad for the health of working class families?

Write a paragraph responding to the question using evidence from the documents to support your claims.