Child Labor in the Industrial Revolution

Child Labor in the Industrial Revolution

Have you ever worked in a factory with almost no breaks for 12 hours a day, and it was a possibility you wouldn’t be paid? These are just some of the the horrible working conditions child laborers faced during the Industrial Revolution. In England in 1750, 14% of factory workers were children. If child workers failed to reach the quota required by their supervisors, they would be punished severely, and their supervisors would make sure their fellow child workers saw what happened. It was very surprising to me that children under the age of nine were allowed to work in factories in Britain until 1833, when Parliament passed the Factory Act which banned them from working. Factory owners could opt to not pay their child laborers if they provided essentials such as shelter, clothing, food, and water. Children were sometimes dragged semi-conscious and naked from their ragtag bedding early in the morning as to assure they wouldn’t be late. Some children working in the fields instead of factories would work 14 hour days in extreme temperatures. Perhaps the strangest fact to me is that the labor laws stopping such maniacal behavior were not supported by many parents of the child workers, and this was true because the children received barely ample supplies for living. Many orphaned children were siphoned into factory jobs, and therefore government funds wouldn't be used on orphanage supplies. The children working in factories for a few extra coins for their families were labeled "free labour children", and factory owners were eager to employ them. Multiple child workers have testified over the years, and one 8 year old testified that he once tried to run away from the mill he worked at, but his parents had sold him to the mill owner for 15 shillings for six years. He stated that he tried to run away twice, and both times one of the supervisors whipped him without mercy. Some of the causes to limit child labor came from doctors, and they said that epidemics could easily spread through children miners working dirtily in close quarters. The Ten Hours Bill of 1847 stated that children over nine and women could only work ten hours, and another act called the Regulation of Child Labor Law paid inspectors to patrol mainly the textile factories in search of underage workers or children and women working more than 10 hours. These were eventually compiled under the Factory Act. This picture 

shows just how hard the laboring was back then. When asked, the mill owners justified their malevolent actions by saying that they were "building the children's character". The newspapers and news outlets always found a way to avoid blaming the wealthy mill owners, and by doing this they extended the period of time over which child labor was allowed. In the United States, wages and working conditions were only barely better than the environment facing the children of Britain. The United States children were paid anywhere from 40 cents to 2 dollars. Unlike the British, laws of the United States and Europe on child labor did not change until the 1900's! That's over 70 years after the British made a major change. During the Industrial Revolution, many families came to the cities because they heard of many job opportunities, and higher pay. When they realized these were empty promises, they scrambled for money whenever they could. This made it even easier for the selfish mill and factory owners to manipulate those lower class families into putting their kids to work. On the other hand, commoners argued that it gave young men and women valuable skills they could use for future jobs. They stated this although many children ruined their futures by injuring themselves on the job. The Industrial Revolution had many changed many aspects of common living for the better, but Child Labor is certainly not one of them.

Works Cited:

"Child Labor in Factories During the Industrial Revolution." Child Labor in Factories During the Industrial Revolution. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Feb. 2013.

"Child Labour." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 02 Dec. 2013. Web. 13 Feb. 2013.

"Eastern Illinois University Homepage." Childhood Lost. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Feb. 2013.

"Industrial Revolution." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 02 Dec. 2013. Web. 13 Feb. 2013.

"Child Labour." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 02 Dec. 2013. Web. 13 Feb. 2013.