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Many people benefited from the industrial revolution, both in terms of convenience and in terms of wealth. However, many more suffered from poor working conditions, low wages, and general misery brought about by the "Satanic" mills and the other tools of the industrial age. Child labor, the use of women in the factories, and increasingly poor conditions led to the creation of labor movements and the rise of political philosophies designed to aid the poor and the working class. The creation of industry in the United States and throughout the world led to the creation of towns and eventually cities. These urban centers drew people hoping for a better life, and those numbers crowded into the cities until there was no room left. Urban overcrowding led to disease and other problems, and those who could afford to leave the cities did so. Crime in the urban centers increased as people found themselves without a means of supporting themselves and their families. Families remained the central core of life in the period, although women were increasingly forced out of the home and into the workforce. Some women were able to remain at home, but regardless of their status, women were expected to defer to men. Some began to argue for greater rights for women, but it would not be until the 20th century that women began to be recognized as possibly equal members of society.
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