[nullorundefined]

it was literally misery on scales that hadn't been seen before. children were expected to work in horrible and abusive conditions. everyone was working very long and gruelling days for next to nothing and had no way to protect themselves from exploitation.

[bluGill]

How is that different from subsistence farming?

[buckminster]

It was just as bad only with industrial accidents and diseases on top.

[baryphonic]

Entire families working in the fields all day didn't have accidents or diseases in subsistence farming?

[buckminster]

In the UK industrial accidents were commonplace until the passing of The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The very many maimings and deaths it has (belatedly) prevented are less common in subsidence farming.

Of course farmers get sick, but they don't get the diseases created by industry. There are a great many respiratory conditions and cancers that don't occur naturally.

[archi42]

Not sure if you're talking about industrial revolution or present day labor conditions...? Okay, we have child labor outsourced to poorer countries, but still confusing.