Farmers around the world were equally effected by the Industrial Revolution. Many lost their farms, either due to unfair taxes, debt, or extreme changes to laws concerning crops. The Industrial Revolution resulted in many farmers losing their land, and joining rebellions.
In Great Britain, factory owners made laws that would support them, and no one gave the farmers a second thought. The repeal of the Corn Laws in 1846 directly affected Thomas William Fletcher. The Corn Laws set the prices of corn (wheat, barley, rye) and maize, so everyones prices were the same. However, the factory owners got the Corn Laws abolished so food for their workers was less expensive and they could pay their workers less. The farmers, like Fletcher, could not afford to lower their prices and people started buying foreign corn and maize, which was another part of the Industrial Revolution. Thomas has few other options left but to pack up his wife and six children and move to America.
The farmers of India were having a hard time as well, due the high price of land, disease and famine, and war with the British. Ram Prakesh is the owner of a four and a half acre farm, and thought it's not a large amount of land, it is expensive to keep. Prakesh has to pay for his daughter's weddings and the running of his farm, and for these reasons he is in debt to the moneylender in his villiage. He joined the rebellion to fight off the British, but the rebellion was put down shortly after. Under British rule, there are still taxes on opium, salt, and stamps. The only benefit the Industrial Revolution has given India is the railroad. The railroad transports food, and medicine to stop disease from spreading.
The Industrial Revolution negatively affected the farmers of China, as well. Li Hsiu Ch'eng lost his farm due to unfair taxes on the lower class, rather than the wealthy upper class who could afford it. After losing his farm, Li tried to find a job at the local port, but because the ports in large cities were taking all the business there were no jobs available. The Chinese government was was corrupt, and because they failed to properly support the people after a series of natural disasters and for various other reasons, rebellions were rising left and right. After Li lost his farm, leaders of the Taiping Rebellion promised to feed his family, which was reason enough for him, though he quickly rose to a position as a commander in the rebellion. The rebellion was put down a few years later and China eventually Industrialized.
Overall, the Industrial Revolution may have been a blessing to the upper class, but the farmers during this time period perished.
Comments
Post new comment