AQA AS HISTORY 7041/1F INDUSTRIALISATION AND THE PEOPLE,BRITAIN C VERSION 1.0 FINAL QUESTION PAPERS & MERGED MARKING SCHEME | JUNE 2023

The living conditions and jobs of workers did not worsen from the 1780s to 1812. Even though industrial processes developed rapidly, there were still many economic activities that were not affected very much by new inventions by 1812. Also, cities were not terrible places for workers. The workers took pride in their cities and enjoyed freedom from control by landowners there. Average incomes rose for most workers from the 1780s. Although some workers did not benefit from changes, this was not typical for most workers who had a positive experience. Real wages were increasing, and the earning power of women and children kept pace with the earnings of men. Adapted from A Briggs, A Social History of England, 1987 5 Extract B Industrialisation created problems for workers which the wealthier classes did not face. The workers had three choices. Firstly, they could try to become middle class; secondly, they could rebel; or thirdly, they could allow themselves to be ground down. There were some working men who did their best to join the middle classes. Also, some workers did rebel and smashed their machinery. Many smaller businessmen and farmers were sympathetic to the struggle of workers. However, for the most part, the workers faced changes that they did not understand. They faced poverty, exploitation and depression in towns and small-scale industrial villages. Many turned to alcohol or religion to accept or forget the poverty and humiliation. Adapted from E Hobsbawm, The Age of Revolution, 1789–1848, 1975 5 0 1 With reference to these extracts and your understanding of the historical context, which of these two extracts provides the more convincing interpretation of the impact of industrialisation on workers in the years 1783 to 1812? [25 marks