The benefits of the Industrial Revolution far outweigh the consequences.  As with any revolution that occurs, there are always unintended consequences that usually come with a great amount of benefit.  There was no actual “revolution” that occurred, and along with the social and economic changes that come with every age, it can not be prevented or controlled by any one event.  With the many positive aspects, it also, as with any other age, brought about unforeseen negative consequences.  Pollution was brought about for the first time in this history of mankind, although modern conservation efforts are beginning to deter the pollution issue and reversing the effects.  Marxism and communism were direct results of the effects of industrialized capitalism, and led to countless losses of human life in conflicts between the fundamentally opposed systems of capitalism and communism.  Along with the unforeseen negatives, immeasurable positive effects came with it.  The Industrial Revolution permanently changed the way our economy functions and changed social attitudes to better accommodate and maintain, for the first time in history, a preserving and necessary middle class.  Along with innovations in manufacturing, agriculture, transportation, engineering, and economics, among others, it also brought about improved living conditions for the average individual.  The technological advancements led to a boom in innovation and invention that improved upon itself to create such life altering inventions as steam engine, the fly shuttle, the spinning jenny, the water frame, and the power loom, among many such others.  Innovations such as those improve the quality of human life and make living as an average industrialized citizen easier.  The creation of the first labor unions are from the Industrial Revolution; unions that protect the worker from employer infractions and improve working conditions.  The average middle class worker would make improved wages, which led to improved living conditions.  Innovations also came in medicine, which prolonged human life, as well as improve the health of the normal individual.  Overall, the Industrial Revolution marked a change in the way human beings lived their lives into a healthier, safer, and more productive existence.

In response to Kara Zdimal’s post, I would have to disagree with the negatives she stated.  Although early in the Industrial Revolution working conditions were appalling, the natural human ability to strive for equality and fairness had overcome the greed and insouciance of the factory owners.  Labor unions were created during the Industrial Revolution for the sole purpose of protecting laborers from the lawlessness and injustices of most factory owners.  The labor unions regulated working hours, wages, and conditions under which a worker could work under.  Working in a factory after the creation of labor unions was no longer a dangerous or potentially fatal.  The issue of child labor quickly became apparent during the early Industrial Revolution.  In response, it was identified as a problem by the British government, and it became regulated by acts of Parliament in 1802.  The suburbs were not a terrible slum, in comparison to the large cities.  They were created, in fact, as a response to the overcrowded and poor conditions of large city dwelling.  The middle class flocked to suburban areas, where improved industrial wages led to an increase in the quality of living conditions and improved health.  They were far from dirty, cramped, or unsanitary.  The large cities were, however, necessary to provide the large workforce necessary for the newly industrialized Britain to maintain its factories and work its machinery.  This did eventually lead to the concept of the megalopolis, and created the idea of small scale government and city management.  I do agree with Kara in the sense that the Industrial Revolution did create and maintain a thriving middle class that still exists in modern times.  This middle class became an essential part of a democratic culture and is the necessary bridge between the rich and poor.