Work Conditions and Child Labor in the Nineteenth Century...

Work Conditions and Child Labor in the Nineteenth Century At the beginning of the 1800’s most laborers worked at home. The family functioned together as a working unit for the common good of all its members. Children would stay at home to help until they got married. They usually did not become contributing members until they reached the age of ten. Girls started somewhat earlier because they would be assisting their mothers with the domestic economy(Gaskell, 91). Agriculture was still the primary employer in England. In 1851 the English estimated that there were about One million people working in agriculture in Britain. This amounted to twenty-eight percent of the countries families were involved in the industry. Early on in the†¦show more content†¦With such a glut of labor on the market manufactures took advantage and lowered wages. Also with machinery doing most of the work the factory could be operational twenty-three hours a day. As early as the 18th century some of the English recognized the deleterious effects of unregulated factory work. One such person was a Dr. Percival, who on January 15th of 1796, presented a report to the Manchester Board of Health on the conditions of the mill workers. In his report he noted that all the workers, especially the children were prone to sickness. He noted that the night labor and long hours of the factories were injurious to the workers. They were not only more susceptible to disease but also in constant danger of being maimed and possibly killed by machinery. Cotton workers suffered from the inhalation of the fine dust particle produced during the processing of cotton. Steel factory workers suffered from asthma. Wages varied according to what industry the workers were in. It also varied upon the skill level of the workers. Most were defined as semi-skilled but there were some who were considered artisans. At the beginning of the century artisans such as hand-loom weavers made as much as 35 shillings(s.) a week. Half way through the century the were making only 7s. 2 1/2 pence(d.). The frame-knitters of the Midlands experienced a similar salary decrease as technology took over the work theyShow MoreRelatedThe Child Labor Art Of Lewis Hine1671 Words   |  7 PagesThe Child Labor Art of Lewis Hine With this paper I intend to explore specific photographs taken by Lewis Hine. The photos will deal with the child labor problem that was brought to light in the nineteenth century, partially through the efforts of Hine. There are over 5,100 images, mostly accredited to Hine, in the Library of Congress database and I will focus on 3 of them. More specifically, those taken in my home city and state, Indianapolis, Indiana. My questions to address with this paperRead MoreChild Labor during the Industrial Revolution Essay722 Words   |  3 PagesBackground Research Throughout history, children have always worked, either as apprentices or servants. However, child labor reached a whole new scale during the time period of the Industrial Revolution. Throughout the time frame of late 1800s-early 1900s, children worked long hours in dangerous factory conditions for very little wages. They were considered useful as laborers because their small stature allowed them to be cramped into smaller spaces, and they could be paid less for their servicesRead MoreLabor And The Roots Of Progressivism1539 Words   |  7 PagesAnwar Khalid Professor Wegner HIST 124 11 November, 2014 Labor and the Roots of Progressivism The progressive era was an age of rapid advancement in social, economic, and societal values that shaped the United States into what it is today. The industrialization and subsequent labor reforms of the mid to late nineteenth century across the world helped to shape the United States and its entry into the modern world. Labor unions and the reforms they forced helped us to modernize and ethically improveRead MoreThe Gilded Age Of The Nineteenth Century And The Succeeding Period887 Words   |  4 PagesTwo prominent eras of American History were the Gilded Age at the end of the nineteenth century and the succeeding period, the Progressive Era. The Gilded Age, also know as the Second Industrial Revolution, was a peak of high economic development with the rise of technological advancements in a free market environment, meaning that the economy was driven by self-interest instead of government authority. Besides its economic growth, the Gilded Age handle changes in social divisions. A fter the abolishmentRead MoreChildren in the 19th Century Essay900 Words   |  4 PagesChildren in the nineteenth century were usually faced with poverty and lived in the urban slums. Progressive reformers, who were generally people from small towns who later lived in cities, focused primarily on these children and their problems. The goals of the reformers were to change the meaning of childhood and help people understand how children should really be treated. A child growing up in the nineteenth century was expected to live an adult life by an early age. â€Å"In the colonial periodRead MoreIndustrial Revolution : A Working Class Citizen1295 Words   |  6 Pagesfactories opened where goods were manufactured. These goods were created at a much faster pace than ever before, and required big machines and lots of physical labor. The labor came from the citizens in England who were former farmers who urbanized and moved to the cities. These people made up the working class in England and they provided the labor in the factories. For the most part the factories were very crowded, hot and dangerous for the workers. But was this life in the factory better for theRead Moreindustrialization dbq1447 Words   |  6 Pagesissues over the course of the nineteenth century. __________________________________________________ The spread of industrialization rapidly altered and changed the city of Manchester during the nineteenth century. Of course there were positive effects that stemmed from this, but negative effects due to the growth of industrialization outnumbered the positive outcomes and are often overshadowed. The environmental hazards and the working conditions of the factory were enoughRead MoreTroubling Issues of Child Labor in Between Shades of Grey by Ruta Sepetys597 Words   |  3 Pagestroubling issue of child labor. The extent of child labor in a country is directly linked by the nature and extent of poverty within it. Child labor deprives children of their childhood, their potential and their dignity. It is detrimental to physical and mental development. Today, there are an estimated 246 million child laborers around the globe. This irritating social issue is not only violates a nation’s minimum age laws , it also involves intolerable abuse, such as child slavery, child trafficki ngRead MoreEffects Of The Industrial Revolution On The United States1212 Words   |  5 PagesConnolly US History Term Paper 10 November 2015 The Effect of the Industrial Revolution The American Industrial Revolution changed the United States residents from rural people to individuals that were exceedingly industrialized. They performed their work in processing plants and used machines. Many people took control of the Industrial Revolution such as: JP Morgan, Cornelius Vanderbilt, Andrew Carnegie, and John D. Rockefeller. These men took hold of their respective industry and held extreme amountsRead MoreLearning about the History of Womens Work through Diaries747 Words   |  3 PagesA woman’s work in eighteenth and even nineteenth century can be described by a familiar proverb – a woman’s work is never done. Nowadays, we have a chance to get acquainted with their lifestyles due to the diaries that some of these women wrote during their lives. A number of scientific researchers are based on these dairy’s entries. Even when there is not much information about women’s work on early America, Martha Ballard’s diary is a va luable source for such a study. She recorded her arduous