In the mid-19th century, England found itself in the struggle of the Industrial Revolution. It was a time of uncontrollable technological progress, producing social and economic conflict. In 1843, there were one and a half million unemployed in England (out of a current population of eighteen million). The closure of factories and the reduction of wages caused the start of serious riots in the industrial districts. Angry and unemployed protesters in these neighborhoods have many observers fearing that a full-scale revolution is about to occur. Thomas Carlyle, respected writer, after his work on the French Revolution, social critic and dark satirist, was so interested in the protesters that he postponed his studies of the life and times of Cromwell, to begin his new perspectives on the crisis contemporary. . He did not believe that all races were created equal, but he supported labor organization and emigration. In seven weeks, Carlyle wrote From Past and Present to call for heroic leadership, since the aristocracy was preoccupied with enriching themselves while the working classes struggled. He was aware that democracy was beginning to spread, and it was inevitable, but he did not believe that democracy could produce the heroic leaders he needed. In From Past and Present, Carlyle gives deep meaning to his vision of freedom, his ideas about social classes, and his beliefs about the leaders of industry. But before his ideas about social class emerged along with his industry leaders, he had strong perspectives on freedom. Thomas Carlyle, in his day, primarily supported freedom for Negroes and individual rights, especially for the working class. In From Past and Present, focuses mainly on Liberty for middle of paper...... m the Conqueror, the working class of England would not protest, as they would at that time. Quoted Dieterle, David Anthony. Economic thinkers: a biographical encyclopedia. Santa Barbara, CA: Greenwood, An Imprint of ABC-CLIO, LLC, 2013. E-Book Collection (EBSCOhost). Internet. March 9, 2014. Fleming, James E. and Linda C. McClain. Ordered liberty: rights, responsibilities and virtues. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press, 2013. Electronic Book Collection (EBSCOhost). Internet. March 9, 2014. Freeman, Edward Augustus. William the Conqueror. Champaign, Illinois [PO Box 2782, Champaign 61825]: Project Gutenberg, and eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). Internet. March 9, 2014. Roshwald, Mordecai. Freedom: its meaning and scope. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2000. Electronic Book Collection (EBSCOhost). Internet. March 9, 2014. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/william_i_king.shtml