The Industrial Revolution: The Children

http://cvoll.sbintz.com/socsj.jpg

The image above may seem out of the ordinary, but for the Industrial Revolution, which set off a boom in population, technology, and industry in 18th century England. In the Industrial Revolution, which began in England in the 1780s, factories saw enormous growth with new technologies like the steam engine, spinning jenny, and the water frame. They made factories more efficient and transportation much easier. England also had all that was necessary to form a booming economy. They had a good government, an expansive empire, raw goods, mainly coal, were at their disposal, they had workers due to the Enclosure, and most importantly, they had a large consumer base.

The scene above is not unusual. In the time of the Industrial Revolution, children were a favorable mode of labor. They were cheap. Children as young as six years old could work up to 19 hours a day for little or no pay. They were easy to take advantage of and discipline. Children were brutally beaten in factories by overseers. Their small size was taken advantage of. They were put in dangerous situations. Factory conditions were dangerous because of the use of large and heavy equipment. Many accidents occured in these factories were injured, maimed, or even killed.

These children were made to work out of poverty. They were either orphaned and open to being taken advantage of by selfish factory owners. Even the orphans who were protected by orphanages were sent to work in these harsh factories. Other children went to work with their families who wanted to keep everyone together. These reasons only reinforce how children were taken advantage of. They never seemed to have an option when they were sent to work in these harsh and unforgiving factories.

TO READ CHILLING ACCOUNTS OF CHILDREN IN FACTORIES CLICK HERE

Sources:
cvoll.sbintz.com/socsg.html/
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kahlenberg_steam_engine.jpg
http://www.cottontimes.co.uk/childreno1.htm
http://www.suite101.com/content/children-as-workers-during-the-industrial-revolu-a89230