Marx PSA

Marx, Karl and Freidrich Engels. The Communist Manifesto.  Modified from the Avalon Project. 1848. Yale University. http://avalon.law.yale.edu/subject_menus/mancont.asp (accessed September 18, 2013).

After studying philosophy at the University of Berlin, Marx started to form his economic views and ideas about history. Only in his adulthood did Marx ever face the reality of poverty, meaning Marx’s beliefs were not a product of his childhood experiences. The book was written in a persuasive tone to promote communism while also serving as an insight to Marx’s theory on how history works. In the book, Marx claimed that all clashes in history are the result of class struggles. Revolutions were the result of lower classes rebelling, as written in the book.  Another claim made in The Communist Manifesto was to abolish private property to create equality and end the gap between the bourgeois and proletariat.  As “The Inexorable System of Karl Marx” states, by Robert Heilbroner, many communists, including Marx and Engels, believed communism would inevitably rise all over the world. Marx thought industrialization would self-destruct and communism would follow. The book ends with, “Working men of all countries, unite!” which leaves a motivational tone for communists to openly fight for their beliefs.

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Luddite RAFT

                       The picture above depicts two Luddite men destroying machinery in defiance. Taken from  http://www.smithsonianmag.com/multimedia/photos/?c=y&articleID=116159859

The Industrial Revolution was a time for growth and prosperity, but not all people were supporters of this time. Luddites, a small and short-lived group, were people who protested the Industrial Revolution and factories. Most Luddites were weavers, or had other jobs that were replaced by factory machines, causing them to be poor. The reasoning behind their outrage was the horrible wages and conditions of factory workers. A popular misconception of Luddites is that they were anti-technology, but in reality most Luddites were skilled machine workers and did not hate technology.  To show their vexation at factories, Luddites manually destroyed machines with axes and other materials. Luddites never were violent and rarely killed any people. The source below, in the form of a letter, gives a firsthand view of the Luddites in England. The letter was written by Elizabeth Bridgewell, a twelve year old girl working in the factories during the early 1800s. The factory she worked at was destroyed by Luddites, as she explains in this letter to her cousin, Martha Stuart, in America.

My dearest Cousin Martha,

I have written to inform you of the wild happenings here in Manchester. You may have already heard, but I recently became a worker at a cotton mill. A young girl like myself has a hard time working the machines in such big factories. Nevertheless, I continued to work the horrid job to support my starving siblings. This Revolution has been nothing but a malnourishment for my family. The city now looks like one big lump of coal, what with the extreme increase of industry. My job pays for eight meals a week; the bear minimum for the large family. How my family detests this factory insanity! If I had the money and power, I would destroy all factories in England, along with every greedy factory owner. Anyways, the reason for this letter was to tell of what great occurrences have happened to me this past week!  A wild group of protesters, known as the Luddites, destroyed the machinery to my factory. I have been released of work due to the unworkable conditions. Oh how I celebrated when I heard the news! This was not the first time these people have done such things. Papa tells me they are angry at the cruelty. They hate the factory owners, the low wages of workers, and the harmful factories; everything that I hate as well. Luddites seem to be God’s gift to me and I intend not to waste this precious gift. I have it set in my mind that I will soon move to the country to join with Luddites. I know Papa and Ma will join as well. Living may not be nicer there, but I will fill my empty stomach with the sweet food of vengeance. Can you believe little Elizabeth has grown into such a strong fighter! The time is soon for my move. I am ecstatic to be known as a crazy and strong Luddite. Wish me well my dear cousin. I send my blessing to you and the family in America, and I hope you do the same for us. Life is about to change!

With all my love,

Elizabeth

Industrial Revolution: Museum Curator

After curating an exhibit for the first time, it’s clear that the analysis portion is the most important. Analysis includes looking at the sources of each piece, relating each piece to the topic of the exhibit, and putting it in context with other sources. Without looking at sources and interpreting the importance of each piece, the exhibit will have incorrect information. It’s also important to understand what you are displaying as a curator before you present it. The exhibit I curated is shown below. The title helps portray the main theme of the exhibit: environmental and social repercussions of the Industrial Revolution in England. My group wanted a catchy title that created interest and summarized the exhibit. After brainstorming, “Horrible Conditions Behind Prosperity” was the unanimous vote. The map of England’s industry at the top left, the drawing of the polluted Thames River, and the display of a Dudley street slum are the three visuals in the exhibit. Each source gives a visual representation of the impact on the environment and people living in industrial cities. The source below the map has two opinions (by Andrew Ure & Alexis de Tocqueville) on the behaviors of workers in Manchester. Both men say that factory workers are somber, some are very rich but no one seems happy or goes out to have a good time. The chart in the top right corner (by Charles Feinstein) correlates with the aforementioned opinions. The chart shows how low the incomes of workers were compared to the cost of living. Obviously people were not happy at this time in fear of poverty and the strenuous work hours.

Visitors of the exhibit will learn that although the Industrial Revolution was a time of growth and prosperity, there were also negative effects. The environment took a huge blow from the increase of pollution due to factories and coal-powered transportation. Along with environmental stresses, visitors will see and understand the horrible lifestyle and salary of workers living in England at the time. Poverty and filth was an issue for factory workers and their families. The exhibit had many interesting pieces displayed, and succeeded in informing viewers of the negative side to the Industrial Revolution.

As a visitor, I saw four different exhibits focusing on other subjects related to the Industrial Revolution in England. The first exhibit I visited, “Experiences and Hardships of Child Labor”, gave a presentation on the hardships of child factory workers in the nineteenth century. According to a chart of factory workers in 1818, 50% were children under 10. Obviously children had no desire to work (due to the hard labor), but poverty forced their families to send them for the extra money. The second exhibit was a little less intense, and focused on the gigantic cotton demand during the Revolution.  Maps and graphs showed the slave populations drastically increase because of the demand for raw cotton in Britain, which was the largest exporter of cotton goods in the world. “Cloth Through the Ages, Many Different Stages” showed the actual form of cotton goods being made, contrasting the old way of spinning wool at home to the new technology used in factories. The spinning Jenny and textile mills were much more effective and cheap, but the older technology was much more family-friendly and comfortable for country people. The last display I visited was informative on the new types of transportation invented, like railroads and steam engines. I found it amusing how such simple technology nowadays, like railroads, were found astonishing. One article on the exhibit, written by Samuel Smiles, praised railroads and the first line of his letters starts, “The iron rail proved a magicians road.” Being a visitor to each of the exhibits was a great way to learn more about the Industrial Revolution.

Engels PSA

Engels, Friedrich. The Condition of the Working-Class in England in 1844. London: Swan Sonnenschein & Co, 1892.

German born, Friedrich Engels was a socialist philosopher. Engels lived and worked in Manchester for a portion of his adulthood. Engels was living in Manchester at the time the book was written, but it was later published in Barmen, Germany.  Throughout his life, Engels was a strong believer of socialism due to the poverty industry forced on laborers, known as proletariats. Engels’ book The Condition of the Working-Class in England in 1844 was published to promote the socialist movement. With this in mind, Engels seems to be a reliable source and stays factual on the circumstances mentioned. Some persuasion is used in an attempt to convert readers to socialism, by describing the horrible living conditions of the working class. This source was informative of the rancid conditions of Manchester inhabitants. The source failed to describe the emotional aspects of the workers, for the reader to gain more insight on the situation. Overall, Engels stays factual in this source, while at the same time putting across his disgust for the economy and the environment in Manchester.

 

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Overview of Syrian Citizen Meeting

Citizens of Syria met together last week to discuss their current situation. The Syrian civil war has been ongoing since 2011. The Baath government, led by President Assad, is striking back at civilian protesters. Poverty, unemployment and unfair treatment are all factors leading to these protests. The government has attacked cities, shot thousands of protestors and allegedly used chemical weapons in an effort to oppress the rebels. Participants of the meeting understood the circumstances very well, and elaborated the cruelty of the war. Most people brought up Assad. One person in particular mentioned that Assad is the main reason for this war. This comment led to a detailed discussion on Assad. Much importance was stressed on the government, but participants failed to mention much about the rebels’ side. Participators neglected to discuss what violent actions the rebels have taken. The topic of rebel imprisonment or the first events causing the war weren’t discussed either. The main goal of this meeting was to analyze what options were available to these citizens.

The first option discussed was fleeing to shelter in a refugee camp. Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan are camp locations where Syrian families can safely live. Most participants were in agreement that this was their best option. Overpopulation is a huge complication that needed to be considered, though. Other participants said it would be their duty as a citizen to stay and fight, which was the second option. Joining in arms to fight for your beliefs is truly a noble thing, but most people were worried it could cause extreme government. On the other hand, a feeling of vengeance and unity is something most citizens were willing to sacrifice their lives for. Protesting was the third option. Not many pros were present, and the majority of participants agreed it wouldn’t be safe or effective. This war began from peaceful protests, and online protest is nearly impossible due to government monitoring. The last option mentioned was to remain living in Syria, where it was unanimously voted pointless if there is no involvement in the cause. The overall consensus of the meeting was to flee. Participants were most concerned with safety, and majority thought this was the safest option.

Personally, I think fleeing isn’t the best option. Joining in arms seems the most feasible. Participants said revenge would be worth the fight, and I agree. I believe if I was in the position of the Syrians, I would stand up for my country and people. Staying and not partcipating was definitely the least viable option of the four.

The discussion I observed was active and most participants had great ideas. I didn’t agree with the majority opinion to flee to camps, but I understood the reasoning behind it. The most productive part of the meeting was the discussion on joining arms. The most ideas were brought up at that point and much emotion showed.  Contrastingly, the least productive part was the beginning, when everyone was discussing Assad’s background and personality; unneccesary details. Hopefully citizens will soon find a way to survive in this craziness!