A key to England’s early industrial growth was the large pool of workers willing to accept low wages for long hours of labor in factories and mines. Many of these workers were displaced farmers or farm workers, forced from rural areas because of land shortages caused by population growth and the consolidation of small farms into large estates by wealthy landowners. Rural families moved to cities or coal-mining towns, where they provided the workforce for the early Industrial Revolution. Few avoided poverty, crowed housing, and poor health.Eventually, the British government responded by passing laws to protect factory workers and miners, especially children, from exploitation. When considering legislation, parliamentary committees held hearings to gather testimony from workers, employers, physicians, clergy, and local officials. Their statements, some of which are included in the following documents (that you can read by clicking here), present a vivid picture of working-class conditions in the first half of the nineteenth century.
Section 1 includes testimony from the records of the Sadler Committee, chaired by Michael Thomas Sadler in 1831 and charged with investigating child labor in cotton and linen factories. Section 2 includes testimony taken by a parliamentary commission appointed in 1833 to investigate working conditions in other textile industries (incidentally, this is the same year the British government abolished slavery). Section 3 presents evidence taken in 1842 by a committee investigating conditions in coal mines.
Once you have read the documents, I would like you to think about and discuss the following: What differences were there between working conditions in the mines and in the cotton factories? As revealed by the questions they asked, what did the committee members consider the worst abuses of working conditions in the factories and mines? What does the testimony of Hannah Richardson and George Armitage reveal about the economic circumstances of working-class families and attitudes of working-class families toward their children? Consider the testimony of the workers themselves. Do the workers express anger? Do they demand changes? What might explain their attitudes? For what reasons do William Harter and Thomas Wilson oppose factory laws? In what ways do their views reflect the economic philosophy of Adam Smith in the Wealth of Nations? Your thoughts…
38 comments:
i remember with adam smith inventing capitalism that he said that people should use selfishness. obviously they're doing that, but it isn't good. the owners of the factories profit, but the workers are treated so badly. it's like they turned into tools that even animals are treated better than.
The working conditions in the textile factories dont seem quick as bad as in the mine fields because they work inside and are not breathing in everything from the coal. The committee members considered the long hours the worst conditions based on their questions. Based on Hannah and George's responses, because of the economics they have no choice but to work in the factories and they have to send their children to work as well because even though they are treated poorly, they would not survive and have to live under a bridge if they did not work because the family needs the income. The workers express some anger towards their working conditions and do demand change in their testimonies most likely because the working conditions are almost unbarable and having to deal with that every day makes you mad and want it changed.
i remember being little and always ask my mom why we had to go to school.
now that i know, i like school.
I think that the idea of going to get ajob to help your family was a good one due to there economic positions, but the conditions needed to be improved EXTREMELY. they needed hope and change. i think this classifies as one of the negatives of the industrial revolution.
So poor is not concerned about the education, and is fell into the vicious cycle while the rich does not care about anything except the profits. This looks like an terrible account of the workers. At least there were some people who actually cared. I think the interview interviewed these people because he wanted to put a stop in to the system.
i think the first document really caught my attention. the first girl gave very simple precise answers and didnt leave you guessing, but the way iread it seemed like the girl had sort of a nonchalant-ness to her tone. she didn't even have strength let alone the TIME to eat a semi-descent meal! i think its horrible that a little boyo has to live with the image of not one, but two of his sisters abilities just like....fizle before his eyes,a nd there was nothing he could do about it. its sad how desparate families were for money.
now i don't even know which one is worse. farming or factory working. the people described the working environment worse then i thought. the workers suffer long hours of work and the owner are just plain greedy and selfish. i don't even think the workers even saw the sun out unless they were near any windows. i think it was bad how they barely had time to eat any decent food. if they don't eat right then how are they going to work as hard as they are pressured to? At last Hannah Richardson & George Armitage seem like they care a little about children working at young ages. They do have kids around the ages of 10 and George was able to understand that girls shouldn't be working in pits like men do. Over all, the workers don't seem like they express much anger. They just seem like victims and are blind with the constant need of work for money.
i understand where making children get jobs to help support their family comes in during this time period, but these condidtions were so frightening. i was reading that sheet you gave us with testomonys on it. as i read the testimonys, i could feel the children's pain. having blisters all down your sides, working 14 hour days, and knowing this was the only way of life is terrible. i remember you telling us in class that if these poor kids feel asleep or slacked off they would get beaten. that is pure child abuse and is a horrible thing to do.
Wow... those hours are insanely long in the textile mill, especially when you are doing mindless labor over and over again. People force their kids to work because they need the money to survive so they put their own health and education to the side. The workers were also beaten if they late, including the children. Thomas Wilson belives that the government shouldn't interfere with the coal business, which is exactly what Adam Smith believed. Wilson thought that it was the coal company's job to provide an education for the children, even though very little was being given.
these jobs for these kids and adults were good and bad.. they were need for there economy and so that people could put food on the table for there families, but these conditions were very harsh and it made it hard to go to work.. at school i at least like going to chill with my friends and we have a good environment.. these kids and some adults have no clue what that is even like
adam smith invented capitalism.when doing so he said that people should be in charge of their buisness not the government.obviously people can't handle the responsiblity of their own buisness because they went as far as treating childern as animals.because of factor owners immaturity the government was forced to get involed.in actually i believe that this was the birth of early child abuse.it created upset children that had childern who were abused either emotional,mental,or phsically.it created a long line of child abuse that is still having its effects now.
Of course these stories are horrible, and it the owners just come up with a bunch of bs and numbers. I never really thought about what it would do to these families now that their children cant work once the law gets passed. I guess they'll be at school, so their parents wont have to worry about them while they're working but what do the families do that are so desperate for money that they're begging for a six year old child to work in a coal mine?
It seems like everyone just thinks this is the norm, and it is until the laws get passed.
7774777The first thing that came to mind were my parents and grandparents saying what they had to do when they were our age. I would love for them to hear a story by one of these people. I have learned a little about the industrial revolution in middle school, but I never heard this side of the sotry. Just reading about these disgusting conditions is bad enough, but with how easy we live now, it would be unbareable.
gz! I really appreciate our hours of work and comditions now. At least the bad lead to better, and we created machinery to create machinery rather than people.
agh, I hate all the crude "slepeing" behavior... I wouldn't think it too bad, because they need some relief, as long as they are not forcibly raping or anything, but also that there are children in the same rooms...not cool.
It is interesting, though, that they created schools to get children out of work, which is good, but the families needed their help. But, giving the next generation an education would make great overall effects every chnge in years. I wouldn't want to put my children in those conditions, but I guess, either that or starving, and that the children didn't mind it, would make it not so bad. The workers do not sound to angry. They sound direct and straight-forward, like they are tired and busy, which is probably the case. And the managers sound like they are trying to hide the truth...
wow.definately do not tell you this in middle school. I remember talking about child labor and people could potentially die in the machinery...but I never understood WHY the children worked.
I thought it was interesting to read views...the owner and the workers.
i dont understand how they considered the long hours of working the hardest and worst condition... i would think that how they were working would be the worst. it was boring and not comfortable nside the factories (or the mines) but even in pictures ive seen in other text books and books in the library some workers barely have enough clothing or like shoes... long hours would be the least of my worryies.
Those interviews were absolutely horrible. Especially the one that was talking about how girls were employed and because of it they were immodest and unfit for wifely duties...I hate that on many level. First, girls shouldn't be expected to know how to cook or sew. Second, even if the girls are in the mines, so are the young boys, so its a problem that young girls are working but not young boys? And the one about the toilet being actually in the factory... disgusting.
Elizabeth Bentley: Wow instead of 9 to 5, it's 5 to 9...And at a few pennies a day that's a worse robbery than when we "bought" half of Mexico's territory. Forty minutes of lunch does grant a bit of freedom though, twice as good as what Mr.P got...That series of "Yes" answers shows the cruelty, but surprisingly non-discriminant...
John Wright: He explains the conditions to be rather comfortable as far as temperature goes and not so much in accordance to hours of work and cramped space in rooms. He obviously isn't uneducated when he can tell you the general hours of time spent at factories for 1 and 10 years.
William Harter: He seems to think of himself and his mill in terms of selfishness and image...He cares how much the difference in hours would effect his overall production and revenue, and is no idiot when it comes to factory and business. His business methods make sense but his morality is deep in question though not confrtonted directly by the interviewer.
Edward Potter: He immediately proves how parents use their children as tools, and why birth rates dropped when laws were executed against child labor, because they were of no use anymore. Also, it's good that he would refuse to employ young boys, but his methods are crude. It may almost, if you don't understand the reasoning, seem he cares for the boys when he says they tend to fall sleep and get hurt, or killed. However, he only cares that they have as many workers as possible without having any sacrificed due to injury or death, and none that would sleep on the job, allowing the most possible work to be done.
Hannah Richardson: According to her, be raised in such an environment has deprived women of the ability to learn household chores and education, as well as Christian beliefs and principles. She says they cannot grasp onto them as they were deprived from any true source of logical innovation that would stimulate their mind into learning such things. It seems rather true. Why do we learn at young ages? Our minds are inquisitive and are constantly grasping onto ideas around us. Without a mentality like that striking us at a young age, we could grow up to be nearly incapable of grasping certain concepts.
Robert Willan: He describes the sins which they commit being grown up in such environments would open them up to committing such horrible acts of indecency, as he sees it. This just reiterates what Richardson said, that they are without any teachings of Christianity, drinking, gambling, or sex. Being cramped in small rooms and exposed to such behaviour worsens their idea, that it's not really a bad thing.
Thomas Wilson: He is convinced that child labor is okay and that noone should be allowed to interfere with what they're doing. It shows the mentality of these business owners, that they're not violating any boundaries and interference with their source of work is wrong and shouldn't be allowed. They're obviously very objectable and these ideas are deeply rooted into their minds over the years.
i think it really hit me when i read the testimonial frm the first girl. i mean i understand child labor.. lik in the house, helping around, doing your chores, and whatnot but it was just cruelty to take it to this level..
the silk mills were clean because they were swept everyday, but the workers are all cramped into on room, and injurious to health and growth. Factory emits a distinct smell large portion of oil and grease is used in the mills.some kids become cripple. children would have to do a lot of work for a long period of time for their age. sometimes they were unable to eat lunch, breakfast, or dinner, if they were late then they would take money for the hour, even though they did not make a lot of money anyways. so children were mistreated, so good thing for children's rights, now we have to go to school.
Yeah, we really shouldn't be complaining about any of our working conditions or times at all. These workers had to face severe punishments of beating for arriving a little late or messing up a little bit at their 'station.' Both the textile mills and coal mines are implied as dark places. There was also dust and soot everywhere, which also made it hard for them to eat and even see what they were doing. But to me, it seems as if the coal mines were darker because it was referred to as a pit. And the whole idea of the reverend talking about how bad the conditions and the people were reminded me of the coal mines being relevant to hell. These families working in the mills and mines cannot support themselves nor their children, which lead them into making use of their kids. John Wright's testimony showed how much these factories needed every single person to do their job. Wright described the scene of seeing people carried to work because they didn't have the strength to walk there alone, children as well as adults. Harter and Wilson opposed factory laws because they couldn't afford to lose any workers. They needed each person to carry out their specialized task in order to reach the goal of production and profit. Wilson thought it 'unfair to single out a group of people.' These ideas agree with Adam Smith's views of self-interest and how mankind is selfish.
Wow they really don't tell you this stuff in middle school... Based on the documents and picture, the working conditions in these factories seem to be highly hazardous... having all the toxins go into your lungs, could kill you. The children were not being fed correctly,and barely had the time to eat therefore increasing the chance of getting disease from the toxins..
i think people took adam smith way over by using child labor..did adam smith recommend that? i hope not...if the government hadn't interupted and stayed with adam smiths way, we would be working in factories. i felt so sorry for those kids that had to work in the factory. by what they r saying, no wonder why there was a high mortality rate in children. the children that were interviewed talked as if it was normal life to them to work in the factory in such conditions. they didn't even have meal breaks and the manager would take their lunch and throw it to the pigs if they didnt finish. the owner talks like kids are slaves.. i guess they weren't lookig at how the future would be...
This really makes me grateful for school. I'd rather be there than in the mines(the worst conditions).The textile mills seemed a lot better than the mines.
Adam's Smith's theory that business is fueled by human selfishness holds true when you read what peole were willing to do to their workers to keep the time short and the money rolling. Working conditions in the mines were worse than the factories, but in bothe places you have nasty particles in the air making it hard to breathe and eat, cruel overseers who beat you, and children running around working more than any kid should ever have to. the long hours and the "strapping" seemed to be a sticking point for the committee members. they asked several questions about it, and later passed laws regulating it. in my humble opinion they had a right to be appalled.
wow that is shocking. i couldnt even begin to imagine myself working in a factory that young. i kind of actually am glad to be here at school. if it was up to me, i would have left the mill, and headed for the country side. somewhere peaceful and quiet. i'd definetly turn into a hermit.
Wow!! It seems to me that the textiles condiontions are a little less harsh than in the coal feilds and the mill industries. The hours are just insane, and i was suprised how the manger really believed that "time was money" in the idea that he said he couldn't have a ten hour work shift...that it had to the twelve! It was interesting that our perceptipon of that "time is money" and many of us still live by that today!
There are drastic physical and physiological differences in working in a cotton factory to a coal mine.Given the chance i would much rather work in the factory because of the lack of light and fresh air in the mine shafts. Physiologically it is harmful to not be exposed to light for extended periods of time, not to mention the other risk such as poising, collapse, and other mine-related hazards. However life in the factory wasn't pleasant either. Children were only given a few mins to eat, worked an outrageous number of hours for little pay near hazardous machines, and were beaten for not working fast enough.
Oddly enough in the documents the workers do not seem to complain about these conditions, but accept them for the normal. This is because they were desperate for money and the children did not know any different because that's what they were raised to do. My man Adam Smith's capitalistic ideals are portrayed here in the sence that time is money and competition and human selfishness is driving the factory system.
In class, Mr. Prill said that humans had it made before the industrial revolution. Things were simple and slow-paced. It's kind of like when grand parents are saying that these time are so fast, and when they were young everything was slow-paced, people were good, and things were easy. But that was well after the industrial revolution. In other words, I believe that the lives of humans will continue to accelerate until Earth reaches its carrying capacity.
These children work countless hours in the factory doing unsanitary, dangerous, and life threatening work for nothing at all. this is crazy. all the factory owner cares about its profit and productivity, replying to the govt that they educate the children and the govt should not interfere with the coal industry. These documents show the social stratification of the rich and poor, the factory owners and the workers, and the degradation of women even more
Both the textile factories and the coal mines are extremely dangerous. Textile, a kid can fall asleep and hurt/kill him/herself. and in coal mines, although the intervewed people didn't know, it is severe for a child's internal health. The worst consequence is "strapped"(which i'm guessing that its being whipped), "quartered" (pay reduce), and deduction of lunchtime.
The working class had too many children (12!!!!!!!!) and therefore were very negligent and careless about them. No protection, no love, no care.
John Wright, for example, complained about the pollution present in the factory and how harmful it was. Although, is complains, the writing does not express anger (only complaint) and i think that is because they were almost "brainwashed." most of them did not recieve an education and therefore probably thought that the pollution and lack of protection for their empoyee was common and normal.
Smith stated that government should not affect economy. Wilson and Harper states that gov't should not change the factory owner's regulations.
Wow. These documents really provide an inside look to what ti was really like to work during the industrial revolution...harsh is an understatement. 40 minutes to eat? are you kidding me? not even adults work that many hours in a day today. Hannah Ricdhardson, the one that has two kids and says that the child labor isnt that bad, she's crazy. She says it has not affected her son's health...but thats only because she cant see it. and they dont mind it because its what they're used to. How can you miss somthing like freetime that you never had before? I liekd these documents only because you can see just how these people's lives were controled by their work.
It seems like some of the parents would rather have their children work than go to school because if they didn't work they weren't making money and so were a liability to the parents. However if the factory owners didn't pay the workers so little then maybe the kids wouldn't have needed to work.
The working conditions that they are under are horrid. They have to work long hours in dirty conditions. They didn't have much free time either. I would get bored of doing the same thing repeatively. And when I thought abotu factories I thought about adults, but now children..
It disgusted me reading about what hannah richardson said. She says that her sons were as healthy as they ever had been after working for 14 hours a day. She doesn't seem to realize that it only takes one accident to cost one of her kids an appendage or even their life. She seems so blinded by the fact that her and her family need money to survive that she would risk her own sons life for it.
Despite all the new inventions, i dont know whats worse, working in a textile mill or in a mine. They both are pretty bad. Mining they get lungs full of dirt on a regular basis. In factories, pollution fills up the lungs leading to health issues. The first case talks about how the conditions are harsh and if production isnt up and slow then the workers get strapped (which i take it as being beat). also if the workers are late they do too. Elizabeth Bentley doesnt even have a clock to see the time to go to work, so she has to judge when to leave( normally really early like 2 or 4 am.)In this case, the business is definitely following capitalist ways in that the owners are being selfish and competitive. They may or may not realize that it is at the cost of the working class.
The working class doesnt seem to care about the working conditions. Im sure they are depressed and miserable because of it but if they tried to argue with the owners or managers about it, they might lose their job. All the workers are trying to do is make enough money to survive even though it may cost them in the long run.
I am so glad Britain created child labor laws. These kids worked up to 15 hours a day as young as 6! Were people in this time period that stingy? In the coal mining fields, they prohibit kids from under 9 from working, which seems okay. But then u have angry parents trying to convince them to take the child, despite the age just for their financial benefits.
Also, the factories didnt want to cut back working hours because of reduce in profit. How selfish can they be? These are just kids working their butts off for... one penny an hour? i dont know how much that is today, but im sure it is still considerably low. Its a shame how humans can be
These conditions are terrible. With so many people having so little money, children doing some kind of work may have been a good idea, if the working conditions were the total opposite.
Why would anyone put their children through that? Or didn't some of the orphanages care about the children enough to protect them from this sort of this?
I don't understand it but I sure am thankful that things are different today.
these conditions are just plain out terrible. Working was the last thing on my mind at that age, and theyre actually forced to do it. Its amazing how things change in such a small period of time.
there was a major overpopulation problem, with an extreme case in the children class. due to families having too many children, they neglected them, and sent them to work so they could pay rent, food, clothes, etc. The working conditions were brutal, sometimes fatal. I'm just thankful someone had the sense to step in and stop it.
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