From Field to Factory: How Industrial Change Transformed Everyday England

Through the eyes of Thomas, a late‑eighteenth‑century farmhand from Staffordshire, we track the march of canals, steam engines and railways that reshaped Britain’s economy, labour market and social fabric. Drawing on parish records, contemporary newspapers and early industrial accounts, the episode shows how these technological shifts intertwined with enclosure, Reform and the rise of wage work—illuminating both the promises and the costs of the Industrial Revolution. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices