The Workhouses: How the Poor Were Virtually Imprisoned in Victorian Era England
Workhouses in Britain were all-inclusive institutions, which offered both accommodations and a workplace to those unable to support themselves. However, living conditions were brutal.
As a transition to a new form of manufacturing, in which hand production was replaced by machines, the Industrial Revolution was a force to be reckoned with. It was more of a firestorm than a tornado. It started in the large cities of the United Kingdom, slowly moving through the farmlands and rural areas, displacing workers while exacerbating the gap between the rich and the poor.
Nothing could be done about it. Nobody can stop progress.
The Industrial Revolution
The initial wave, now known as the First Industrial Revolution, started around 1760. By 1840, when today’s academics agree it ended, society had drastically changed. As the migration to major cities from rural and farm areas reached unprecedented levels, London’s population tripled in the period between 1801 and 1861. Other cities like Manchester, Birmingham and Liverpool also grew by three- or four-fold.
