The way people worked, the nature of their interaction with society, was one of the fundamental changes brought about by the demands of the Industrial Revolution. To reap the benefits achieved by the division of labor and scale of production, people had to work together in large groups. This new paradigm of collective labor in the factory system had no contemporary equivalent – ​​except for the working conditions of slaves who also worked in large groups. An examination of the lives of factory workers and slaves shows that there are many similarities between the way slaves were managed and the management of industrial workers. The very nature of large corporate administration required a similar organizational structure to effectively manage a larger scale operation. Although industrial workers were not subject to the true hardships of slavery, working conditions were often grueling and fraught with real danger in the early decades of slavery. industrialization. (Misa, 2011, p. 90). 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 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 employee manual, we can see many similarities in scheduling and the 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 direct supervision of a foreman or overseer (Factory Rules in Berlin 1844)....... middle of paper ...... improve their lives and those of their children thanks to their slave labor He 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. The organizational structure of slaves and industrial workers is similar due to the nature of collective labor. Having a group of people working together means they need to be mentored and motivated to combat the free-rider problem. This causes a stratification of society between workers and management, but the benefits this hierarchy enables far outweigh its costs...