Transformation of Family & Social Relations

Before the Industrial Revolution, most people depended on agriculture for their livelihood. They most often lived in small villages where they worked in agriculture or in skilled crafts or trades ("Impact" 1). The family made up the basic economic unit of this system, with each family member playing a significant role in the success of the family farm or family skilled trade or business ("Impact" 1). However, the "enclosure laws" of the nineteenth century required that farmers, at their own expense, fence in or forfeit their rights to the land. Many families could not afford to comply with these laws and, as a result, lost their land and their livelihood ("Impact" 1). Seeking work, many of these now-unemployed farmers and skilled craftspeople moved with their families to the cities, where work was available in the new factories ("Impact" 1).

The factory system began to develop during the lat

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Approximate Word count = 1031
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page)

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