During the Second Industrial Revolution, life in industrialized nations changed dramatically. The electrified, mechanized workplace meant long hours and low wages for unskilled factory workers. Work was often dangerous and unemployment precarious. Nevertheless, industrialization did bring benefits. Mass-produced consumer goods were priced so that by the end of the nineteenth century, members of the working class could afford to purchase less-expensive versions of items that had once been available only to the middle and wealthy classes. The mechanization of agriculture and the development of refrigerated railroad cars made food more available and less expensive. Improved sanitation and medical advances reduced infant mortality and increased adults’ life expectancies. Important demographic changes took place at the same time. By the end of the nineteenth century, both middle-class and working-class families were having fewer children as laws restricting child labor and mandating education made it more difficult to employ children.            

All images referenced in this podcast can be found at https://openstax.org/books/world-history-volume-2/pages/10-1-inventions-innovations-and-mechanization            

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