The Industrial Revolution happened mainly between the late 1700s and the mid-1800s. It changed society in huge ways, causing many people to move to cities and bringing several challenges with it. Here’s a look at how this period encouraged urbanization and the difficulties that came with it.

1. Moving to Cities

• Population Growth: From 1750 to 1850, England's population jumped from about 5.5 million to over 21 million.
• Rural to Urban Migration: In the early 1800s, nearly half of the people lived in cities. This was a big increase from less than 20% in 1800. By 1851, about 77% of people in England were living in urban areas.

2. Job Opportunities in Factories

• More Factories: Factories popped up in towns, creating new city centers. For example, the population of Manchester grew from 25,000 in 1801 to 350,000 by 1851.
• Job Changes: Many workers moved away from farming jobs to work in factories. In 1811, about 90% of people worked in agriculture, but by 1860, this number had dropped to around 40%.

3. Better Infrastructure

• Transportation Growth: The building of railroads and canals brought rural people to the cities. By 1850, there were over 6,000 miles of railway tracks, which made traveling faster.
• City Upgrades: Cities built new roads, bridges, and public transportation systems to handle the growing number of people.

4. Social Problems

• Crowding and Housing: Fast urbanization caused major overcrowding. In places like London, some areas had up to 100,000 people living in one square mile, often in poor-quality buildings.
• Health Issues: The crowded living situations led to serious health problems. There were many outbreaks of diseases like cholera; for instance, in 1848, over 14,000 people died from it in London alone.
• Pollution: Industrial activities created a lot of air and water pollution. Studies showed that smoke emissions grew by almost 20% during the 1800s.

Conclusion

In short, the Industrial Revolution drove people to cities because of new job opportunities and changed society. But this quick change also led to big challenges like overcrowding, health crises, and pollution. These issues required new rules and policies to deal with the new problems in city life during this industrial age.