Engels publishes The Condition of the Working Class in England

Background. Engels was exposed to the harsh realities of industrialisation, including polluted rivers and dangerous working conditions. His experiences in Manchester, a city at the heart of the Industrial Revolution, led him to write his first major work. The book was compiled from his own observations and detailed contemporary reports.

Publication. The book was published in German in 1845. It is a study of the industrial working class in Victorian England. The publication history is noted as embarrassed. The work was written during Engels' 1842–1844 stay in Salford and Manchester.

Reception. After their second meeting in 1844, Karl Marx read and was profoundly impressed by the book. Engels' research culminated in this first major work. The book connected environmental degradation directly to the class character of capitalism.