When looking at the many changes brought about by the Industrial Revolution, the working conditions of workers in newly industrialized industries are always in focus. The new paradigm of the factory system changed not only the way people worked, but also their very sense of identity. This gave them a class consciousness that would later help spur the rise of democracy and communism. Without taking into account for the moment, however, the future societal consequences of this new class consciousness, and considering the revolution only from the point of view of an industrial economy. worker, it is easy to question the benefits of this revolution. Working conditions were often so harsh and dangerous during the first decades of industrialization that it is questionable whether industrialization was truly beneficial – at least for the first generations of workers who did so. experience (Misa, 2011, p. 90). . Perhaps they would have been better off if the agricultural revolution had never given way to the industrial revolution. Indeed, the working conditions of industrial workers in Europe were such that some slaves in the American South appear to have been better off. Comparing the daily lives of industrial workers and slaves is actually quite fascinating. Looking at two documents from this era, Plantation Management, a set of rules for directing overseers written by a wealthy plantation owner, and Factory Rules, an early type of employee manual, we can see many similarities in the scheduling and management of industrial workers. and slaves. Both had to adhere to a strict schedule. Get up early in the morning and work until late at night (Berlin Factory Rules 1844). Both worked in groups under the direction of the ......ual paper and under the control of the monarchies. Additionally, while the majority of workers may have had lives full of hardship, the Industrial Revolution created a middle class that would continue to grow as advances in production continued to accumulate. Which illustrates perhaps the most crucial difference between a slave and a worker: hope for the future. Industrial workers could hope to improve their lives and the lives of their children through their work, but a slave had no way of improving his lot. Slavery and industrial labor have similarities due to the need for hierarchy in managing large groups of people. Living with this hierarchy is part of the price of enjoying the benefits of industrialization. However, in the long run, this compromise has proven to give more freedom than ever to people at all levels of society..