19th Century Urbanization, Social Change & Women’s Rights
Summary of 19th Century Societal Changes
During the nineteenth century, a vast number of people migrated to cities. The increasing urban population led governments to improve public health and sanitation services. Women began to advocate for their rights, leisure time increased, and many Western governments financed public education.
Urban Population Growth
With fewer jobs available in the countryside, more people moved to cities for jobs in factories. City populations increased dramatically.
Impact of Improved Public Health
As cities grew rapidly, they were forced to make improvements in public health and sanitation. Clean water was essential and was brought in from reservoirs through aqueducts and tunnels. Disposing of sewage was also important. A campaign in Frankfurt, Germany, featured the slogan: “From the toilet to the river in half an hour.”
The New Social Structure
European society comprised three broad classes: upper, middle, and lower.
The New Elite Social Class
The wealthy elite made up 5% of the population and controlled 30%-40% of the wealth. The group was made up of aristocrats, as well as bankers, merchants, and industrialists.
The Diverse Middle Class
The middle class was made up of several groups, ranging from doctors and lawyers at the top to secretaries and shopkeepers at the lower end. The middle class shared certain characteristics:
- Preached their worldviews to their children
- Believed in hard work
- Stressed the importance of outward appearances
Women’s Experiences
In 1800, women had few rights, were defined by their family and household roles, and were dependent on men. During the nineteenth century, women struggled to change their status.
New Job Opportunities for Women
The Second Industrial Revolution created new jobs. There were not enough men to fill these low-paid, white-collar jobs, so employers began to hire women.
The Marriage Ideal
Throughout the 1800s, marriage remained the only honorable and available career for most women. The number of children born to the average woman began to decline.
Impact of the Women’s Rights Movement
Modern feminism, or the movement for women’s rights, began during the Enlightenment. Women fought for the right to own property, partially achieved in Great Britain in 1870. Women fought to gain access to universities and occupations dominated by men.
Notable Figures:
- Amalie Sieveking: A German nurse who founded the Female Association for the Care of the Poor and Sick.
- Florence Nightingale: A famous British nurse who helped transform nursing into a profession due to her work during the Crimean War.
- Clara Barton: An American nurse who also transformed nursing due to her work during the U.S. Civil War.
Women also believed that suffrage, the right to vote, was the key to improving their overall position. Emmeline Pankhurst founded the Women’s Social and Political Union, the most active in Europe, using publicity stunts to call attention to its demands.
Development of Public Education
During the last half of the 1800s, most Western governments began to finance a system of primary education. The new jobs resulting from the Second Industrial Revolution needed trained, skilled workers. As a result of public education, there was a dramatic increase in literacy, or the ability to read, which led to the development of mass media, such as newspapers.
New Forms of Leisure
Many of these leisure activities were passive, not participatory, and people paid for them.