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• 1 2017-04-25T17:14:51-07:00 Page 6 5 plain 2017-04-25T18:25:36-07:00             Marx was formulating his theories during the Industrial revolution, a time when Britain and other countries were going through a very dramatic change (Bottomore, 1973). During the old feudal system farmers and citizens had freedom and rights to the land. In other words, it was held in common. The government passed a number of enclosure acts in the 17^th century and people no longer had the right to live on this land freely. Many of them were forced to pack up and move to the towns and cities, which were beginning to grow due to the increase in factories and textile mills. Where as previously, people were free to grow their own animals and crops on the common land. Once they reached the city, they had to find work in the factories in the employment of the factory owners. The work was long, hard, and often dangerous and the wages were extremely low. Many of the factory owners did not want to pay high wages because this would mean less profit for them, so children were often used a cheap labour. Unemployment was also a rampant problem due to disease, illness, injury, or other factors. The Industrial Revolution promoted a capitalist way of thinking and also created two distinct groups of people: the factory owners or “the bourgeoisie” who were middle class, and the factory workers or working class who were known as “the proletariat” (Joseph, 2006).