Debunking The Lasting Myth Of Poverty In The Early Industrial Revolution

Posted: 9/18/2019

I have had serious doubts for many years regarding the still predominant narrative about the severe poverty and worker exploitation during the early phase of the Industrial Revolution as it happened in Great Britain. Charles Dickens famous stories and Karl Marx and his sugar daddy Friedrich Engels stoked the narrative early on.

“Were there no poor people before that? (There were, obviously.) There are a number of possible answers – an increase in the concentration of poverty with growing urbanization and industrialization, which made poverty more visible; the rising standard of living, which made poverty seem less “normal”; or ... a more visible contrast between wealthy owners and poorer workers” (S1; emphasis added)

I may add:

1. Yes, perhaps the contrast between wealthy owners and poor workers became more visible. Perhaps, there were suddenly many more affluent and wealthy citizens around, while in previous centuries wealth was more invisible and highly concentrated with the nobility and upper echelons of clergy. 
2. Many of the nouveau rich were self made and came from humble beginnings
3. I would bet there were relatively fewer poor people during this time than in the centuries before if you adjust e.g. for population growth
4. Above all, poverty is such a strong relative phenomenon depending on time, location, culture and much more. E.g. a person in Western countries, who is in our time considered to be poor, would have been seen as a well off person just a few decades ago. Like beauty, poverty is to some extent more in the eye of the beholder. Greed and envy do the rest!

Sources (S):

1. Charles Dickens, poverty, and emotional arguments (Acton Institute, 9/13/19)