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Explain in a few sentences why a historian might not think that Engels’s description reflects a completely accurate picture of what life was like in England during 1844.

User Shabaz
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Final answer:

A historian may consider Engels's description as possibly biased and incomplete, preferring to cross-reference multiple sources for a balanced historical view, recognizing that personal narratives like Engels's can highlight certain truths but might not encompass the full complexity of the era.

Step-by-step explanation:

A historian might question the accuracy of Engels's description of England in 1844 for several reasons. While Engels's account provides a vivid portrayal of the hardship experienced by the working class during the Industrial Revolution, it's important to consider that any single perspective can be biased or incomplete. Engels was a social critic and his work was aimed at highlighting the plight of the workers and the problems inherent in capitalism, which may have led him to emphasize the negative aspects of industrialization without giving equivalent attention to any positive developments or nuances in the social fabric of the time.

Moreover, historians prefer to cross-reference multiple sources to get a more balanced view of the past. Personal narratives, while valuable, might not represent the experiences of all segments of society or the full complexity of historical events. Sources such as government records, data on economic conditions, and accounts from different social strata can provide a more comprehensive picture.

Therefore, while Engels's work is a significant historical document that offers insight into the conditions of the working class, a historian would also consider other contemporary accounts and historical evidence to gain a full understanding of life in England during that period.

User JChristian
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That is because Engels presented things much worse than they actually were so as to prove a point and spread his ideology. Of course that a little bias was necessary for that since it had to motivate people that they had it worse than they really had it.
User Uno Mein Ame
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