Final answer:
The Industrial Revolution shifted work from skilled artisan labor to unskilled mechanized production in factories, leading to major societal changes including the emergence of labor rights as a key issue due to the often poor working conditions.
Step-by-step explanation:
Impact of the Industrial Revolution on Working Conditions
The Industrial Revolution drastically altered working conditions by transitioning from skilled artisan handiwork to mechanized production dominated by unskilled laborers. This period saw a replacement of human and animal efforts with steam power and machinery, leading to mass production and more efficient processes. However, it also meant the creation of low-paid, often precarious jobs with long hours in unsafe environments.
The change improved access to goods and social mobility for some, but also led to a loss of workers' control over their conditions and birthed various societal issues related to workers' rights. Over time, the complex interplay of new inventions, investments, and profits spurred continued industrial expansion, reshaping social classes and prompting shifts from rural to urban lifestyles.
Factories began to require large quantities of raw materials, driving Imperialism, and technological advancements such as the telegraph, railroads, and automobiles further transformed communication and transportation. Despite the progress, this era gave rise to the struggle for labor rights, wage protection, and safe workplaces that continues in various forms to modern times.