The Industrial Revolution in Britain, which lasted from the mid-18th century to the end of the 19th century, was an era that greatly enhanced the status of lower- and middle-class women . Women of both classes suffer from stereotypes and inequalities between men and women. Lower-class women working in factories were mistreated and paid considerably less than their male counterparts. Middle-class women were expected to be idle, ignorant, and detached from their husbands' work. This prejudice led women to become increasingly aware of their inferior status in society and gave rise to frequent feminist movements. The Industrial Revolution helped catalyze feminist movements that competed for political votes, educational rights, economic protection, and the right to private property. The Industrial Revolution helped give rise to inventions such as the steam engine and textile factories. These inventions caused a gradual shift in labor from rural to centralized work in urban areas. This urbanization opened up the opportunity for many lower-class women whose families were often poor to work in factories at relatively constant wages. However, in these factories, women were often mistreated and earned significantly less than their male counterparts. This was mainly due to the stereotype that England, a patriarchal society, had about its women that "women were naive, fragile, emotionally weak creatures who could not exist independently of a husband or the wise advice of a father ". The value of products made by women was devalued because they themselves were devalued in the eyes of society. Emma Paterson, an English feminist, once said: “Not only are women often paid half or less than half for doing a job... middle of paper ......dtr19.htm. Ibid.Lynn Hunt, “Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen, August 26, 1789,” chnm.gmu.edu/revolution/d/295/ (1996). Joao Jose Reis and Arthur Brakel, Slave Rebellion in Brazil: The 1835 Muslim Uprising in Bahia (MA: The John Hopkins University Press, 1993), 33. Rainer Sousa, “Revolucao Pernambucana,” www.brasilescoba.com/historiab/ revolucao-pernambucana.htm (2010).Silva Carla Persira de Brito Fonseca, “The Idea of ​​Republic in the Brazilian Empire”, www.brasil.gov.br/sobre/history/republic/the-idea-of- republic-in-the-brazilian-empire/ (2005). Rainer Sousa, “Revolucao Pernambucana,” www.brasilescoba.com/historiab/revolucao-pernambucana.htm (2010). Joao Jose Reis and Arthur Brakel, Slave Rebellion in Brazil: The Muslim Uprising of 1835 in Bahia (MA: The John Hopkins University Press, 1993), 122-123.Ibid.Ibid..