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Thesis
How the British reform and Labour Laws throughout the 18th and 19th Century changed the years known as childhood and the use of children during the Industrial Revolution -
Industrializing Great Britain
Great Britain was the first country to industrialize; however because of this it was also the first country where children’s work changed so much that child labor became a social and political issue. -
Child Labour
Child labor can be defined as children who work by producing goods or doing services that can be sold for money whether the child is paid or not. -
Children and the Factories
Rural textile mills were built in 1769 and child apprentices were taken in as their primary workers, which in turn, changed the true meaning of child labor. Charles Dickens called these places “Dark satanic mills” and E.P Thompson regarded them as a “place of sexual license, foul language, cruelty, violent accidents and alien manners” (1966, 307) The factory’s system was criticized for their strict discipline, punishments, unhealthy working conditions, low wages and of course their harsh work ho -
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was a famous English novelist. At the age of 21 Dickens’s first story, A Dinner at poplar Walk was published in a local magazine. The problems and social issues of factories inspired Charles Dickens to write Oliver twist in 1838. He released other novels such as Nicholas Nickleby and The Old Curiosity shop. Dickens then created the Master Humphrey’s Clock series, which was small monthly stories that were eventually created into a novel. He also had a wiked beard. -
Fun Fact!
Dickens married Catherine Thomson Hogarth. They lived together with their 10 children, Dickens’s younger brother Frederick, Catherine’s sister Mary and their pet raven named Grip.- They had 10 children. That's as many as two fives. And that's a lot.
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Incoming Labour Laws
After the strong debates on children being exploited during the British industrial revolution, parliament passed child labor laws after having evidence collected. The Cotton Factories Regulation Act of 1819 set the minimum working age at 9 and the maximum working hours at 12. -
Regulation
The Regulation of Child Labor Law of 1833, which gave, paid inspectors to help reinforce the laws. This was needed because prior to the inspectors some factories would find work arounds. -
Coal Mines Act
The Coal Mines Act of 1842is a legislative act in British National Parliament, which increased the safety in the industry of coal mining in Britain. The act also prohibited women and boys under the age of ten from working in the mines. Daily working limits were set to eight hours only, and government inspectors performed regular safety inspections. The act was put in place due to Lord Shaftesbury’s concern as to the many mine-related deaths that had arisen recently. -
More Progress!
The Ten Hours Bill of 1847, which limited the hours of work given to 10 for children and women. That picture was the first result when googling the 10 hour bill. Awesome. -
Edwin Chadwick
Edwin Chadwick wrote a Report on Sanitary Conditions of the Laboring Population of Great Britain. His report gives detail to the insanitary conditions that were related to the diseases and deaths and life expectancy among the different social classes. The report keyed in on the importance of sanitary engineering and extending the duties and training of district medical officers. -
Cholera
During 1848 there was a major cholera epidemic that caused 60, 000 deaths and the influenza pandemic which caused 50, 000 deaths in London alone. Also during the 1848 the Public Health Act made a new central department known as the General Board of Health, under a nominated president and provided for local boards of health to be set up.
