The Impact of Industrialization on Employment and Criminality in 19th Century Europe

Summary

This article explores how industrialization impacted employment and criminality in 19th century Europe. The development of new machines led to the mass production of goods, creating a free market in labor and driving migration from countryside to towns. Female employment became more regulated in factories, while domestic service remained unregulated. Urbanization led to the formation of a distinct criminal underclass, with professional criminals and casual poor drifting in and out of crime. Rural society administered justice through practices such as charivari, while urban and industrial growth helped decrease crime rates, with a focus on middle-class criminals in popular literature.

Table of Contents

• The Development of New Machines and Employment
• Regulation of Female Employment in Factories
• Unregulated Domestic Service
• The Formation of a Criminal Underclass
• Rural and Urban Society and Crime

Q&A

1. How did industrialization impact employment in 19th century Europe?

   Industrialization impacted employment in 19th century Europe by creating a free market in labor. The development of new machines led to the mass production of goods, driving migration from countryside to towns. The experience of poverty and social disadvantage helped bind all manual, waged workers into a single social class. As a result, young men from the countryside migrated to towns in search of better-paying work. However, while male employment was more regulated, female employment regulations were directed towards factory work.

2. What impact did the Singer sewing machine have on employment in 19th century Europe?

   The Singer sewing machine was mass-produced in 1851, leading to the development of a new putting-out system that employed women in workshops. This created a new form of female employment, which was particularly attractive to young, unmarried women. However, while this system provided women with a source of income, it was not regulated in the same way as factory work leading to the exploitation of female workers.

3. How was female employment regulated in 19th century Europe?

   Most employment legislation aimed at regulating female employment was directed towards factory work. Domestic service was an area of employment that was difficult to regulate, with complaints from servants about poor working conditions, bullying, long hours, and minimal pay. Often, women resorted to alternative forms of employment, such as the putting-out system used for the Singer sewing machine.

4. How did urbanization and industrialization impact crime rates in 19th century Europe?

   Urbanization and industrialization led to the formation of a distinct criminal underclass, with professional criminals and casual poor drifting in and out of crime. Crime was more prevalent in cities due to life insecurity, a lack of family guidance, and the abundance of temptations. However, industrial growth helped decrease crime rates, with a focus on middle-class crime and criminals in popular literature.

5. How did rural society administer justice in 19th century Europe?

   Rural society administered justice through practices such as charivari, which involved a mock trial, and punishments such as donkey rides, honey, and feather smearing and other rowdy acts. Blood feuds and vendettas were still common in Southern Europe, with transgressions ranging from refusal of a marriage to property theft resulting in murders that could continue for decades. State intervention decreased as the state struggled to control violence, although legal reforms such as the Criminal Law Code improved control.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the impact of industrialization on Europe during the 19th century was significant. It led to the mass production of goods, creating a free market in labor and driving migration from countryside to towns. Female employment regulations were directed towards factory work, while domestic service remained unregulated. Urbanization and industrialization led to the formation of a distinct criminal underclass, with professional criminals and casual poor drifting into and out of crime. Rural society administered justice through various practices while urban and industrial growth helped decrease crime rates, with a focus on middle-class crime and criminals in popular literature. Overall, while industrialization brought about many positive changes, it also created social and economic challenges that impacted European society for years to come.