The two most common forms of child labor have become labeled as “Parish apprentice children” and “free labour children” according to Reed (2001). The “Parish apprentice children” were some of the first children to be brought into the factory setting. These were children who had been taken in by the government and placed in orphanages (Reed, 2001). Rich factory owners approached parish leaders with the idea of them taking in children and feeding, housing and providing for those children in exchange for the children’s work in their factories (Tuttle, 2001). Tuttle also points out, these children were not paid a wage for the work they did; the compensation in basic needs was considered enough and in many cases just barely enough to survive on. These children were subject to unhealthy working conditions, long hours, and harsh punishment (Tuttle, 2001). It has been estimated, as much one-third of the workers in the country mills during 1784 were perish apprentice children (Collier, 1964).
The industrialization of the West had an impact on society in six ways. 1) Work sites shifted from farm to factory, requiring workers to move to the cities where the industrial jobs were located, and to learn new skills. 2) Populations grew due to better quality and quantity of food in the cities, fewer deaths as a result of fewer foreign wars, and the separation of sewer water from drinking water and other public health improvements. 3) Urbanization was encouraged, which resulted in expanded public education and opportunities for upward social mobility. 4) New social classes were formed, namely the industrial middle class (factory owners) and the industrial working class (factory workers). 5) New economic theories developed. The old economic theory, mercantilism, measured the wealth of a nation by how much gold and silver it controlled. Three new economic theories tied wealth to productivity instead of owning gold. a) Classical economists believed in “laissez faire” policies in which the market was allowed to work unimpeded by outside forces, and that the “invisible hand” of the market would maximize economic growth and thus benefit everyone in society, the workers as well as the factory owners. This theory took hold at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, around the middle of the 18th century. b) Liberal economists were reformers whose theories gained popularity in the early part of the 19th century. They were reformers who believed the workers were powerless and treated unfairly in the classical system. They supported labor unions to give workers more power, increased pay for workers, and women’s suffrage. c) Radical economists came later, in the mid- 1800s. They wanted to restructure society and distribute wealth evenly among the owners and the workers. Utopian Socialists held this view, and several utopian societies were established during this time. 6) New political theories developed. i) Christian Socialism promoted communal property and living as being based on Christian principles. ii) Revolutionary Socialism advocated revolution of the masses against the wealthy as the only way to change society for the better. Revolutionary socialists believed that oppression of the masses by the few had characterized societies since the beginning of time. They wanted to reverse this and put the power in the hands of the people. iii) Anarchism was the most radical theory and promoted the abolition of all governments. Anarchists believed all governments were bad because they deprived people of freedom.
Facts:
Facts:
- Families migrated from rural farm areas to newly industrialized cities to find work
- As usual things were never as they seemed
- All were in property!
- Families had every family member working to survive
- Led to high rise in child labor factories
- Children paid a fraction of what adults were paid
- In most cases some didn't get paid at all
- Orphans subject to slave-like labor
- Incidents occurred very often-- injuring or even killing children on the job
- Children used and worked near large,heavy, and dangerous equipment daily
- HORRIBLE working conditions
- Common for children to work 12-14 hours with the same minimal breaks
- Breaks 30 minutes (2 times a day)
- Some children were pushed to work even 19 hours a day
- Children as young as 6 worked during hard labor
- UNDERPAID AND OVERWORKED
- Children were never treated well and this occurred for a long time until...
- Factory Act of 1833 in which things improved