European Working Conditions and Agriculture

Questions 1-6

1. One reason in which the European population increased so much by 1914 was the falling death-rate. This was caused by famine and plague, two large killers, loosing much power. Another reason for the increased population was that at the same time as the falling death-rate the birth- rate rapidly increased.

2. Europe :1750 - about 157 million (including Russians)
1830 - about 230 million
1880 - about 320 million
1900 - about 420 million
1960 - about 630 million
Britain : from 16 million to 45 million
Germany : from 24 million to 65 million
Russia : from 37 million to 140 million
France : from 27 million to 39 million
U.S.A : from 5 million to 92 million

3. The two major social groups during the late 1800s were the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. The bourgeoisie consisted of the "property-owning minority" which consisted of bankers, merchants, professional men, industrialists, and those who owned or invested in the new factories and industrial enterprises. The proletariat however were the low paid, hard working, factory workers who worked under the bourgeoisie.

4. Industrial workers had a strict set of rules to follow. One such was their 'necessary' working hours. "In the Lancashire cotton industry, a fourteen hour day, six days a week was commonplace.." In other places, hours were even longer. Another such rule dealt with how miners must greet the mining officials, or superiors. "Any infringement of these regulations, a contemporary reported, was punished by a fine and, on subsequent occasions by demotion to harder and worse-paid work. Mining boys received instead 4 to 16 lashes with a rope."

5. As mentioned above some of the worst working conditions facing factory workers were the tedious hours of work each day. However, a more immediate danger may be the accidental injuries that could occur due to poorly protected machinery. Many faced serious injury because of this carelessness.

6. The working class not only faced harsh conditions on their jobs, but also at home. The biggest issues were sanitation, inadequate water supply, and lack of cleaning. Many lived, crammed into tiny basements or one room houses with their entire families. They had to make due with what they had, which was, at the time, very little. Sickness often plagued the working class as well. The lack of sanitation in homes caused many to develop serious illnesses which they could not afford to find cures for. Therefore, many died on a regular basis at home.