Reflections topic 3

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

In my opinion, the Industrial Revolution improved the lives of many people not only in Europe but also the rest of the world.

Between 1750 and 1850, many new machinery were invented - the Industrial Revolution.

Many new inventions were created such as the spinning machine. Such inventions greatly shortened the time goods were produced which means less labour for workers. As more factories opened to house these inventions, more people had to be hired to help run these machines.

Another important invention was the steam machine which soon lead to the railway trains and steam ships. As more goods were being manufactured, raw materials were in demand. Europe thus turned to countries like Asia and even Singapore for this supply of raw materials.

With these inventions like railway trains and steam ships, travelling time was cut short which meant the increase in ships visiting Singapore. This lead to a drastic growth in trade. Many ships also stopped in Singapore to refuel and to obtain food supplies. People in Singapore also took advantage of these steamships to transport their goods between Singapore and other ports. Singapore's port became of great importance to many people.

This leads back to my opinion that the Industrial Revolution affected the way people lived and worked in the 19th century for the better.