Morgan Simpson

The advent of mechanized labor developed the big capitalists, widening the gap

between the working class and the wealthy, oversaturating the product market and forcing

smaller business to shut their doors. In the last half of the 18th Century, the Bourgeoisie and

the Proletariat class were invented due to the rising of the Industrial Revolution. These two

classes started a chain reaction, encompassing wherever the Industrial Revolution train passed

through. In the “Principles of Communism,” Fredrick Engles informed about the destruction that

the Bourgeois inflicted on the economy and the health of the Proletarian people.

In the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in England, the only people able to afford

the machines were the big capitalists.

“The industrial revolution was precipitated by the discovery of the steam engine, various

spinning machines, the mechanical loom and a whole series of other mechanical

devices. These machines, which were very expensive and hence could be bought only

by big capitalists, altered the whole mode of production and displace the former workers,

because these machines turned out cheaper and better commodities than the workers

could produce with their inefficient spinning wheels and handlooms. The machines

delivered industry wholly into the hands of the big capitalists and rendered entirely

worthless the meagre property of the workers” (Section 4, 21-22).

Since the big capitalists were the only ones with the funds to buy the machinery, they single-

handedly created the gap between these two classes. This separation completely wiped out the

Middle Class, creating two drastically different groups, the Proletariat, consisting of handicrafts

men and small master craftsman and the Bourgeoisie consisting of men who owned stock or

inherited money. As the big capitalists amassed more money, this aided in the transition into

power. “Wherever big industries displaced manufacture, the bourgeoisie developed in wealth

and power to the utmost and made itself the first class of the country. The result was whatever

this happened, the bourgeoisie took political power into its own hands and displaced the

hirtherto ruling classes, the aristocracy, the guildmasters, and their representatives, the absolute
monarchy” (Section 11, pg 26). When too much power falls into the hands of the wrong people,

oftentimes power is abused. The Bourgeoisie abused their power by giving the Proletariat just

enough to survive. This could be attributed to the Bourgeois selfishness and intent to keep the

two classes drastically separated.

The flooding of the market led to low minimum wages and more importantly, the demise

of the handicraftsman and master craftsman's businesses. “A multitude of capitalists invaded

industry, and, in a short while, more was produced than needed. As a consequence, finished

commodities could not be sold, and a so-called commercial crisis broke out. Factories had to

be closed, their owners went bankrupt, and the workers were without bread” (Section 12, pg

28). Due to the unregulated industry factories flooded marked with excess products. This led to

crisis because factories ceased productions until products were sold. This perpetual circle of

crisis and prosperity crippled workers and cycled through every five to seven years. “On the

average of good times and bad, gets no more or no less for his commodities than what they

cost, similarly on average the worker gets no more and no less than his minimum.” (Section 5,

pg. 23)

Through the creation of mechanized labor, wealthy families used wealth to corner the

market, therefore forcing businesses to close and suffer perpetually under inadequate wages,

as well as minimal rights.