The Industrial Revolution, though less visibly dramatic than the bloody political and social revolutions taking place in Europe and the Americas, did more to transform human societies around the world than any single development since the beginning of agriculture. Changes in farming, manufacturing, and domestic and foreign trade — first in Britain, and then in Europe and beyond — resulted in unprecedented economic growth. At the same time, shifts in social relations revealed obvious and disturbing inequalities between prosperous business owners and their often-abused workers. In the following documents, politicians, workers, and intellectuals address some of the social effects of rapid modernization. Whether seeking protection for women and children in the workplace, demanding universal male suffrage, analyzing the challenges of a rapidly increasing population, or outlining the international effects of industrialization, these texts show ways in which people tried to understand and navigate their changing social and economic worlds.