Progress increased gap between rich & poor

•Some felt government should stay out of business & economic affairs

•Others felt government should play an active role

•“Wealth of Nations” (1776)

•Promoted Laissez Faire capitalism economics (Let do)

•Capitalism- money is invested in business to make a profit

•Business should operate w/ little or no govt. interference

•An Essay on the Principle of population (1798)

•Population will increase more rapidly than food supply

•W/out wars or epidemics most would become poor & miserable

•Principles of Political Economy & Taxation (1817)

•Permanent underclass would be poor

•Wages would be forced down as population increased

Smith, Ricardo & Malthus were all against government involvement

•Free market capitalism created social inequality

•Government must take action to improve people’s lives

•Concentrated on the interests of society rather than the individual

•Farms & businesses should belong to all the people not individuals

Government actions are only useful if they promote the greatest good for the greatest amount of people

Promoted by Jeremy Bentham & John Stuart Mill

•Sought to create self- sufficient communities

•All property & work would be shared

•Since all wealth would be equal- fighting would endRobert Owen

•“The Communist Manifesto” (1848) by Karl Marx & Friedrich Engels

•Scientific Socialism

•Ideas would inspire communist revolutions in China, Russia, & Cuba

History was a struggle between wealthy capitalist & working class

•The Haves Vs. The Have Nots

• Capitalist (Bourgeoisie) took advantage of the Proletariat (Working Class)

•Proletariat would eventually rise up & overthrow capitalist society

•A “dictatorship of the Proletariat” would rule

•Means of production would be owned by the people

•Wealth would be shared equally

•Eventually government would wither away & a classless society would emergeMarxism lost its appeal in 1800’s as working conditions improved

•Voluntary associations known as unions pushed for labor reforms in the 1800’s

•Spoke for all workers in a particular trade

•Engaged in collective bargaining

•Negotiations between labor & management

•If negotiations broke down members would strike

•First Unions were skilled workers & benefited the middle class

•At first Unions were outlawed

•Combinations Act of 1799 & 1800

•Viewed as a threat to social order

•After 1825 Unions were tolerated

•Factory Act of 1833-Minimum age & maximum hours for children

•Mines Act of 1842- Women & children could not work underground

•Ten Hours Act- limited the workday for women & children

•Abolishment of Slavery- 1833 (Britain)

•Morally wrong

•Economic threat

•Women’s rights movements grew

•Free public schooling became available