Misery generates hate: these sufferers hated the machines which they believed took their bread from them: they hated the buildings which contained those machines; they hated the manufacturers who owned those buildings.
-Excerpt from Shirley: A Tale, by Charlotte Bronte
The steam engine and steam locomotive evidently had major consequences on European society. Positive and negative effects are apparent, as these major technological breakthroughs transformed European society. Even today, many aspects of society and economics are present due to the profound impact these inventions had, which is why they are such big turning points in history.
Urbanization and Industrialization
The railroad rapidly spread and sped transportation. This created new jobs, forcing people to move into cities. Cities like London, for example, shot up in terms of population. In 1801, before the advent of George Stephenson's Rocket, London had 1,117,000 people. After the invention, however, the population of London had more than doubled to 2,685,000 people in 1851. London, along with several other cities of over 100,000 people transformed the nucleus of society from small tight-knit communities where textile production and agriculture were prevalent into big cities with a variety of jobs and people. Again, this is evident in London, where it was largely agricultural based until the Industrial Revolution, most notably the steam locomotive. The steam locomotive provided quicker transportation and more jobs, which in turn brought people into cities and drastically changed the job outlook. By 1861, only 2.4% of London's population were employed in agriculture, while 49.4% were in the manufacturing or transportation business. Evidently, the invention of the steam locomotive was a major turning point in history as it transformed society from largely rural and agricultural into urban and industrial, very much like today.
By 1800, not even half a century after Watt's improvements in the steam engine, there were 2,500 steam engines operating throughout Great Britain, similar to the ones he made. The steam engine and locomotive propelled countless other industries such as driving bellows and rollers, spinning machines, and weaving machines. And, for the first time in history, people had the ability to quickly and cheaply move to big cities to find work, as opposed to working on a farm. Subsequently, it had a major impact on businesses, as it boosted production of natural resources, which were vital to society, and created numerous new jobs, thereby making England less dependent on textiles and Europe as a whole less agricultural and more centered around mass business. For example, British iron production increased nearly 2,500% from 1796 to 1854, evidently due to the invention of the steam locomotive. The jobs relating to mass business paved the way for a global economy that is present today; the presence of mass business throughout the continent, even the world, blossomed thanks to the steam locomotive. Throughout history, there may have been no greater turning point that promoted the business outlook which is present today than the steam locomotive.
New Ways of Life
With the birth of these revolutionary inventions, different ways of life came about, especially in terms of jobs. For example, people started working by the hour and were paid by the hour, as opposed to working sunrise to sunset, not really having an idea of how much they were making by the hour or how efficient they were in terms of pay. And, since many products became cheaper, people had extra money to use for leisure activities such as going on vacation. Finally, the steam locomotive, because it brought about mass business, paved the way for inventions that changed everyday lives of many Europeans, such as the telephone and electric lighting. No doubt, the steam locomotive played a huge role in transforming the everyday life of countless Europeans.
The advent of the steam locomotive and railroad also saw the start of major pollution caused by big business, which is all too often seen today. Polluted rivers and smoke-filled air began to dominate cities, which in turn created poor living and working conditions that gave rise to socialism. The most direct pollution problem created by the locomotive was the carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere. It gave way to poor air quality and poor living conditions. Additionally, the steam locomotive supported businesses and industries where pollution was an accepted and normal thing. This led to poor working and living conditions, which are present today. Countries like China have rampant pollution and horrible living conditions, including poor air quality, which dates back to the invention of the steam locomotive. Its direct and indirect effects are evidently seen even today.
WIth the steam locomotive, people were able to move to cities, find more jobs, and travel faster, but this came at a very costly price, as child labor became rampant. Children had to work long hours, were worked very hard, had little time for breaks, and had little, if any, time for school. Perhaps this is best summarized in the Sadler Committee in 1832, where William Cooper, a twenty-eight year old, described his past working in factories. He recalled starting work when he was just ten years old. He began work at five in the morning and worked until nine at night, with just one forty minute break for lunch. The physical abuse was evident as he was strapped to the machine he was working on, and jeopardized his life if he were to stop. And to top it all off, Cooper had no time for school, apparent in the fact that he could read, but not write. Sadly, this was the case for innumerable minors across Europe. No doubt one of the locomotive's downsides, it ushered in an era filled with downright awful conditions for children which is still present today in countries like China, where children work for hours with small wages.