Part A. The two most important social consequences of the First Industrial Revolution (c. 1780-1850) were urbanization and child labor. Because people moved from rural areas to cities, living conditions deteriorated and with the invention of the steam loom in 1785, children were able to operate this simple machine and produce textiles for an exploding population (“Begins,” nd). The Industrial Revolution began when the development of ironmaking and the use of refined coal sparked the invention of mechanical textile manufacturing (“Industrial Revolution,” n.d.). Urbanization was an important consequence of the first industrial revolution due to poor living conditions. conditions in large cities. No longer working and living on rural farms, workers needed a place to live. The British city of Manchester experienced considerable population growth, from 17,000 inhabitants in 1750 to 70,000 in 1801 (“Social Impact”, nd). Due to the population explosion, the abundance of textile factories and the proximity of the Atlantic port of Liverpool, "Manchester quickly became the textile capital of the world" ("Effects", n.d.). Living conditions in the housing provided for factory workers were appalling. As there was no running water or sewage system, waste was dumped into rivers, creating a foul odor throughout the city. Drinking water became contaminated and diseases such as cholera spread throughout the city (“Social Impact,” n.d.). Child labor was rampant during the Industrial Revolution because cheap labor was vital for the profitable production of textiles. Children received a salary equivalent to 1/10th of that of an adult and could reach into tight spaces to easily perform maintenance on the new m...... middle of paper ......_Revolution.htmlAnswers to the industrial revolution. (nd). Retrieved from http://webs.bcp.org/sites/vcleary/ModernWorldHistoryTextbook/IndustrialRevolution/responsestoIR.html#marxSocial Impact of the Industrial Revolution. (nd). Retrieved from http://www.cove.k12.or.us/sites/cove.k12.or.us/files/File/teachers/gorhamj/World_History/wh07_te_ch19_s03.pdfThe Industrial Revolution begins in England (1760-1850). (nd). Retrieved from http://webs.bcp.org/sites/vcleary/ModernWorldHistoryTextbook/IndustrialRevolution/IRbegins.html#TopofpageThe Spectrum of Economic Systems. (nd). Retrieved from http://www.tulelake.k12.ca.us/ths/Teachers/mhartung/CLASSES/ECONOMICS/Student_Edition_Text/support/PDF/docs/chap18.pdf charitycarney. (May 23, 2013). Overview of Capitalism and Communism [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MfLA7j5N7I&feature=youtu.be