During the mid-19th century Industrial Revolution, the average life span of workers in Manchester was
- A.17 years
- B.30 years
- C.55 years
- D.62 years
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is A, 17 years. A survey of 1842 found that the average life span of workers in Manchester was only 17 years, far lower than that of any other social group.
The industrial towns of Britain grew fast and without planning. Workers lived in crowded, damp and dark housing beside factories that fouled the air and water, and diseases such as cholera, typhoid and tuberculosis spread easily. The same survey gave an average of 15 years for workers in Birmingham and 21 years in Derby. Many workers' children died in infancy, which pulled the average down sharply. Findings like these pushed Britain towards public health laws and factory reform later in the century.
Option B is wrong because 30 years is well above what the survey found for Manchester's workers. Option C is wrong because 55 years is a figure no working-class group of the time came near. Option D is wrong because 62 years is closer to life spans reached only in the 20th century.
Exam tip: 1842 survey of workers' life span: Birmingham 15, Manchester 17, Derby 21 years.
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