During the mid nineteenth century Industrial Revolution in cities such as Manchester in England, what was the approximate average life span of industrial workers?

Introduction / Context:
The Industrial Revolution in Britain brought rapid urbanisation and factory based production, especially in cities like Manchester. While it created great wealth for some, the living and working conditions of industrial workers were often harsh and unhealthy. This question focuses on the approximate average life span of workers in Manchester during the mid nineteenth century, a key indicator of the human cost of early industrialisation.

Given Data / Assumptions:

- The question refers to the mid nineteenth century, a peak period of the Industrial Revolution in Britain. - It specifically mentions workers in Manchester, a major textile manufacturing city. - The options provide life spans ranging from 17 to 62 years. - We assume that the figure is based on contemporary reports comparing life expectancy in industrial towns and rural areas.

Concept / Approach:
To answer this, we need to recall that industrial cities like Manchester had overcrowded slums, polluted air, unsafe drinking water, and long working hours. Infant mortality was high, and diseases like cholera and tuberculosis were common. Historical studies and social reformers reports often highlighted that life expectancy in such urban centres was shockingly low compared to rural districts. In some reports, the average age of death for workers in certain parts of Manchester was around the late teens. Therefore we should select the smallest figure among the options that corresponds with these findings.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Observe that 55 and 62 years are typical of modern or healthier life expectancies and are too high for a polluted industrial city in that period. Step 2: Compare 17 and 30 years. Reports from social investigators like Engels and later health commissions show very low average ages of death in working class districts. Step 3: Recognise that some classic statistics for Manchester in the mid nineteenth century give average life spans of workers in the teens. Step 4: Based on this, 17 years is the figure that best matches historical evidence about average life spans in the worst affected industrial areas. Step 5: Therefore the correct answer is 17 years.

Verification / Alternative check:
Many textbooks on nineteenth century Europe reproduce dramatic comparisons: for example, they show that while people in rural districts might live into their 30s or 40s on average, the working classes in cities like Manchester or Liverpool had average life spans sometimes below 20 years in the most crowded neighbourhoods. These statistics were used by reformers to criticise industrial capitalism and demand public health measures. This supports the choice of 17 years rather than any higher figure given in the options.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
30 years: Although low by modern standards, it is still higher than the particularly grim averages recorded for some industrial districts in that era.
55 years and 62 years: These figures are much too high and are closer to life expectancy in healthier or much later twentieth century conditions, not for mid nineteenth century industrial workers in Manchester.

Common Pitfalls:
Some students hesitate to choose a very low number like 17 because it seems extreme. They may instead pick 30, thinking it is a more moderate figure. Another mistake is to confuse overall national averages with specific statistics for heavily industrialised and impoverished neighbourhoods. The question is about the life span of workers in one of the most polluted industrial cities, not about the broader population of Britain.

Final Answer:
During the mid nineteenth century Industrial Revolution, the average life span of workers in Manchester was approximately 17 years according to contemporary reports.