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Industrialization: Labor Rights and Laws

AP World History
Mr. Omowale
Elite Scholars Academy
Kafui Togbenou, 4/28/16
8 Pages, 1248 Words

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Industrialization is a period of social and economic change where a society goes from
primarily agricultural to industrial. The 18th and 19th century were times of increased
manufactured goods and demand for British products. The establishment of more factories and
jobs brought floods of people which changed the life of the working class in many ways. With
the effects of overcrowding and extreme employment conditions, labor laws and labor unions
were created and put to use. But how did labor laws effect the employment surges and new found
economy?
Britain was known for being the birthplace of the industrial revolution for many reasons.
It had the largest amount of colonies, which are able to produce raw goods for manufacturing. It
also had a stabilized government and large deposits of coal and iron ore. Lastly, an increased
demand for British products caused merchants to look for more cost effective production
methods. This led to innovations in machinery, transportation, and harvesting materials. The
Steam Engine was developed in 1712 by Thomas Neewcome; it was the first practical steam
engine used to pump water out of mines. Most importantly, the steam boat and steam engine
made transportation of trade goods and raw materials possible.
Before the revolution, Britains working class was suffering from poor conditions of life.
Most people lived on small farms and worked hard to produce all their goods. The children were
responsible for farm chores such as milking and picking up eggs. Pay from any job was
extremely low and 70 to 80%1 was used to purchase food. The mother produced any other
clothes, tools, and furniture the family needed. This left the working population malnourished
1 "Industrial Revolution." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 07 Mar. 2016.

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and plagued. In the 18th century, schools were only for the rich and high status, so many workers
were illiterate and uneducated. However, the working conditions in factories became 10 times
worse.
The people worked 12-16 hours a day, and six day a week. Unskilled workers only received
$1.25 a day while skilled workers made $32. Women were paid one third of these wages and
children even less. They had no breaks other than lunch and dinner and became exceedingly
sluggish. With no light, most of the factories were dark except for the natural light of the sun.
The machines were dusty, dirty, and extremely close together. The dirt and rust on the metal
machines caused tetanus and other rashes/diseases. The exposed parts of the machinery posed
hazards of cutting, burning, and overall harming necessary body parts. The machines also
pumped out smoke directly into the facility where the air barely circulated. This caused lung
disease and bronchitis.
Children are tiny, which made them more efficient at lethal jobs like cleaning, fixing, and
searching under machines. The smallest child in the factories were scavengersthey go under
the machine, while it is going.it is very dangerous when they first come, but they become
used to it.3 The children were used for the most dangerous jobs because they were the only ones
able to do it. The younger they were, the less they were paid. This caused factory owners to
employ younger children such as a five year old instead of a ten year old. Getting an education

2 Santos- Paulino, Amelia. "Trade, Income Distribution and Poverty in a Developing

Country."): n. pag. July-Aug. 2012. Web

3 "Children in the Industrial Revolution - History Learning Site." History Learning Site. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 07 Mar. 2016 http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/childlabor/.

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during this time was almost impossible. Kids worked ten to twelve hours a day, slept and got
back up to work at the crack of dawn.
Living conditions were just as bad. Apartments or shacks were built near upcoming
factories to provide a nearby place for all the workers to live. People from the country flocked
toward the urban areas for jobs which caused overcrowding. There were six to nine people in one
room and diseases spread quickly. Sanitary arrangements were unheard of. The bathrooms were
located outside because of the rancid smell. The pile of waste also left a breeding ground for
contagious bacterial infections. Lastly, the lack of medical care and adequate police caused
severe problems. The death rate sky rocketed and prisons wore overcrowded.
Throughout Europe, the strenuous working conditions for not only men and women but,
children became well known. The fight for proper conditions began in the early 1830s. The
Factory Act or Ten Hour Movement began with campaigners comparing child labor to slavery.
Childrens laws were being passed left and right however the child labor was still large in
numbers. The 1833 Act created a system to make sure the regulations were enforced. The
Inspectorate of Factories was created to reprimand and impose penalties on mills and factories
that broke the rules placed for children. The last major act was The Factories Act of 1847. It
changed the amount of hours worked by children and women to 10 hours a day. Committees
were formed to support the cause and the Anglican Church rallied for the children. Beginning in
the 1940s child labor began to decline severely.
The Industrial Revolution in the United States also used child labor as a pivotal role.
Children were working long hours, and were deprived of their childhood and dignity. However,
advocates for child rights like, Jane Addams, and Lewis Hine made sure all children were able to
receive their education instead of spending their time in mills and factories. Jane Addams was a

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member of the progressive party and lent her hand in committees that influenced the working
class through the government. She was well known for her work and she was awarded the Noble
Peace Prize in 1931. The photographs of Lewis Hine spread the word about the struggle the
children workers endured. The despair and hopelessness of the children opened the eyes of many
who refused to believe what was going on. This led to people who wanted to support the fights of
children.
Labor Unions began to surface around the late 1800s, however Americans were skeptical
on how it impact the economy and employment rates overall. The middle and upper classes
believed that letting the economy run its course through competition would raise wages in its
own time. Some also believed there was no way the strikers could win the fight for better
conditions without resorting to violence. Labor unions didnt gain a favorable view in the eye of
the public until the early to mid-19th century.
The National Consumers League (NCL) was a women based organization; they
developed The White Label and it was granted only to stores whose factories were following the
minimum wage laws, maximum work hours, and maintained a standard of clean in the facility.
The NCL also advocated laws like the 10 Hour Workday Legislation for children and The Fair
Labor Standards Act which OF 1938.The National Child Labor Committee (NCLC) was founded
in 1904 and used their and knowledge to fight to ban all types of child labor and to enforce
compulsory education in all states.
In the end Labor Unions brought little harm during the 1900s. The employment rate
grew because children were no longer an issue in the workforce. They also helped to clean up
working conditions and raised wages. Children benefited as well as the adults. The industrial

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revolution had disadvantages for those who lived and worked during that time, but increased the
needed technology and job rights of those who work today.

Bibliography

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Personal Resources
"Child Labor in America: Investigative Photos of Lewis Hine." The History Place -. N.p., n.d.
Web. 08 Mar. 2016. http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/childlabor/
"Industrial Revolution and the Standard of Living." : The Concise Encyclopedia of Economics.
N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Mar. 2016.
http://www.econlib.org/library/Enc/IndustrialRevolutionandtheStandardofLiving.html
"Why Johnny Can't Work | Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis." Why Johnny Can't Work |
Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Mar. 2016.
https://www.minneapolisfed.org/publications/the-region/why-johnny-cant-work
Sherk, James. "What Unions Do: How Labor Unions Affect Jobs and the Economy." The
Heritage Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Apr. 2016.
<http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2009/05/what-unions-do-how-labor-unions-affectjobs-and-the-economy>.
Books/PDF
Labor, U.s. Department Of, Wage And Hour Division, Wh Publication 1318, and Revised May
201. "The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938." 224-120 Final Pdf.pdf (n.d.): n. pag. May 2011.
Web.
"The English Ten Hours Bill." The English Ten Hours' Bill by Frederick Engels. N.p., n.d. Web.
08 Mar. 2016.
Labor Developments in the Late 19 Th Century (n.d.): 1-7. Brfencing. Web. 9 Apr. 2016.
Freedman, Russell, and Lewis Wickes Hine. Kids at Work: Lewis Hine and the Crusade against
Child Labor. New York: Clarion, 1994. Print.
Allport, Alan. The British Industrial Revolution. New York: Chelsea House, 2011. Print.
Hindle, Brooke, and Steven D. Lubar. Engines of Change: The American Industrial Revolution,
1790-1860. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution, 1986. Print.

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Websites
"Industrial Revolution." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 08 Mar. 2016.
http://www.history.com/topics/industrial-revolution
"Child Labor - Social Welfare History Project." Social Welfare History Project. N.p., 21 Apr.
2011. Web. 08 Mar. 2016. http://www.socialwelfarehistory.com/programs/child-welfarechildlabor/child-labor/
"Unsanitary Living Conditions during the Industrial Revolution - Infogram, Charts &
Infographics." Unsanitary Living Conditions during the Industrial Revolution - Infogram, Charts
& Infographics. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Mar. 2016. https://infogr.am/unsanitary-living-conditionsduring-the-industrial-revolution
"Women in the Progressive Era." Reforming Their World. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Mar.
2016https://www.nwhm.org/online-exhibits/progressiveera/home.html
"Working and Living Conditions." The Industrial Revolution. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Mar.
2016http://firstindustrialrevolution.weebly.com/working-and-living-conditions.html.