ABSTRACT
ENGELSarrivedinManchesterattheendofNovember1842. Byoneofhistory'sgreatironieshehadbeensenttherebyhis father,arichtextilemanufactureroftheRhinelandtownof Barmen,tostudyitsbusinessandmercantilemethods.HeremainedinManchesterforthebestpartoftwoyears,and althoughhetravelledtoothercitiesduringthattimehisbase remainedthecitywhichseemedtohim-andothers-most bewilderinglyandpreciselytotypifythefactsandeffectsof industrialism.Bythetimehecametoleavehehadcompleted themanuscriptofoneoftheclassicsofthemodernworld,The ConditionoftheWorkingClassinEnglandin1844·1'England'is perhapsamisnomer.True,thetextmakesreferencetocities otherthanManchester:therearementionsofmostofthe.major northernindustrialtownsandofGlasgow,andastudy 1ofthe miners'strikeintheNorthumberlandcoalfieldsisthr<;>wnin forgoodmeasure.Yetinspiteofallthisitisopviousthat Engels'srealconcernisManchester.Inparticular,hewantsto registerandexplainwhatheregardsasanundeniablefact: 'Theworking-menareonawar-footingtowardstheiremployers'(p.249).
