Urbanization & Living Conditions in Cities (Social Changes)

URBANIZATION & LIVING CONDITIONS IN CITIES (Social Changes) Cities grew very rapidly during the Industrial Revolution and the result was crowded, unsanitary cities which bred disease. (Based on our notes and our Focus Question, this connects to social changes)

Pollution: Coal became really important because it was used for lots of things like warming up houses, cooking meals, and making hot steam to run the machines in factories. But when coal burns, it makes a lot of smoke. This smoke made the sky dark and dirty and caused the air in cities to become polluted.

Overcrowding: As lots of people moved to the cities quickly, there weren't enough homes for everyone. This led to the quick building of slums that weren't checked for safety or health. People earned little money but had to pay a lot for rent, so many families had to live in tiny spaces, with sometimes all of them in one room. The houses were too close to each other, so it was dark and stuffy inside. There was no clean running water, which made it hard to stay clean. The houses got damp easily because they were made of cheap stuff and didn't keep out the wet. Plus, many families had to share one outdoor toilet that was basically just a hole in the ground.

Disease: In England's cities, sicknesses like typhus, typhoid, tuberculosis, and cholera spread very fast. Cholera, which is spread through water, came to England in 1830 and caused big outbreaks in 1832 and 1848. It made people from all parts of life, rich and poor, very sick. The diseases spread quicker because too many people lived too close together, the houses weren't built well, and the water that people drank wasn't clean.

Waste disposal: The gutters in the streets were clogged with garbage and waste, and there was horse poop everywhere, which boys would gather to sell to farmers. People's waste went right into the sewers and then into the rivers. In London, the smell from the River Thames got so bad that even the Parliament had to take a break. There were different places where people could get water, like streams, wells, and water pipes on the streets, but this water was usually dirty with waste.

How did the rapid urbanization during the Industrial Revolution contribute to poor living conditions in cities, and what were the major challenges faced by city dwellers in terms of pollution, overcrowding, disease, and waste disposal? (1 paragraph Response/ Remember to use the question within your answer/ You have 5 attempts to get the perfect score/ Proofread your work)