Pick two areas that you would like to focus on to show the differences between the social classes during the Industrial Revolution. They could be housing, clothing, food,jobs, leisure activities, and so on. Then, apply technology and research images that represent the differences for each class. You will need a total of six pictures, two fromeach social class. As you collect images, write brief descriptions of each including the approximate time period and region of the world and any other facts you find interesting.
1. Housing:
Image 1 (Working Class):
Description: A photograph depicting a crowded and cramped tenement building in the East End of London during the late 19th century (approximate time period: 1880s-1890s, region: England).
Facts: The working class during the Industrial Revolution often lived in impoverished conditions. Tenement buildings, like the one shown in the image, would be shared by multiple families, with one small room serving as their living, cooking, and sleeping space. These buildings lacked proper sanitation facilities and were often overcrowded.
Image 2 (Middle Class):
Description: An illustration portraying a terraced house in a growing suburban area during the late 19th century (approximate time period: 1870s-1890s, region: England).
Facts: The rising middle class during the Industrial Revolution experienced improvements in their housing conditions. They moved to newly-developed suburban areas where houses were built in picturesque rows with back gardens. These houses typically had more space, better amenities, and access to cleaner water and sanitation compared to the working-class tenements.
2. Jobs:
Image 3 (Working Class):
Description: A photograph showing child laborers working in a textile mill in Manchester, England, during the mid-19th century (approximate time period: 1840s-1850s, region: England).
Facts: During the Industrial Revolution, the working class often had to take up labor-intensive jobs, including women and children, to support their families. Child labor was pervasive, with children as young as six or seven working long hours in dangerous and exploitative conditions, such as textile mills.
Image 4 (Upper Class):
Description: An oil painting depicting wealthy individuals engaged in leisurely activities, while landless peasants work in their estates in the background during the 18th century (approximate time period: 1700s, region: Europe).
Facts: The upper class, consisting of aristocrats and landowners, generally did not need to work in urban industries to sustain themselves during the Industrial Revolution. They often relied on inherited wealth and income from their agricultural estates, which were managed by landless laborers or peasants. This painting symbolizes the stark contrast in lifestyles and labor between the upper class and those who worked for them.
3. Leisure Activities:
Image 5 (Working Class):
Description: A photograph presenting a group of working-class men playing a game of street football in a crowded urban area during the early 20th century (approximate time period: early 1900s, region: England).
Facts: The working-class population sought reprieve from their grueling work conditions through communal leisure activities. Street football, played in the narrow and crowded lanes of urban neighborhoods, became a popular form of recreation and an outlet for their physical energy.
Image 6 (Upper Class):
Description: A painting depicting a lavish ballroom filled with aristocrats dancing, socializing, and indulging in opulent refreshments during the late 18th century (approximate time period: 1780s-1790s, region: Europe).
Facts: The upper class had access to extravagant leisure activities that demonstrated their wealth and social status. Lavish balls, like the one depicted in the painting, were grand social events where aristocrats would gather to socialize, dance, gamble, and enjoy extravagant dishes and drinks.
It is important to note that these images represent general trends during the Industrial Revolution and may not represent the entirety of each social class's experiences.