In “The Industrial Revolution: 1760-1830”, T.S. Ashton explores the causes and effects of the Industrial Revolution upon the society and economy of Great Britain. A century prior to the writing of Ashton’s history, Charles Dickens’ “Hard Times” depicted in a fictional format the impact of the Industrial Revolution on the human lives and relations of the people of an imaginary mill town. A central element of both works is the question of the effect of the Industrial Revolution upon the standard of living of workers in Great Britain during the period. It may be argued that, in both texts, its primary effect is depicted to be an increase in wages for the working class. However, it is important to acknowledge that Dickens and Ashton’s depictions of this effect of the Industrial Revolution differ in terms of the distinct generic demands of their respective literary and historical texts.