By the early 1800s, England's population had shifted from rural areas to new industrialized centers such as Manchester. The Industrial Revolution and the enclosure movement, which involved closing off formerly communal pasturelands to landowners who wanted to raise sheep or grow crops, drove many people to cities to work in factories. In addition, a class of middle-class and wealthy factory owners and managers developed. However, the populations of these new industrial areas and the wealthy...
By the early 1800s, England's population had shifted from rural areas to new industrialized centers such as Manchester. The Industrial Revolution and the enclosure movement, which involved closing off formerly communal pasturelands to landowners who wanted to raise sheep or grow crops, drove many people to cities to work in factories. In addition, a class of middle-class and wealthy factory owners and managers developed. However, the populations of these new industrial areas and the wealthy new industrialists were not represented in Parliament, which drew its membership from land owners, not from the industrial class.
The effect of the Industrial Revolution was that industrialists, particularly in cities such as Manchester and Liverpool, started pushing for increased representation in Parliament. After years of agitating for increased political representation, the new industrialists finally were able to have the Reform Bill of 1832 passed. This bill increased the political representation of cities such as Manchester and Liverpool in the British Parliament. In addition, reform bills such as the Factory Act of 1833 improved working conditions for children in factories. Therefore, the Industrial Revolution set into motion increased power for new industrialists in cities outside London, as well as started reform movements to improve working conditions in factories.
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