Child Labor in Textile Mills Kenia Gutierrez W. Stiern Middle School Ms. Marshall 2010 HSS 8.6.1

When did the Industrial Revolution begin? The industrial revolution began in It was the importance to the economic development in the U.S. A lot of people needed jobs so they migrated to America in the hopes to find a job.

Work during the industrial revolution Workers in a farm were very low paid and there was less jobs because of new inventions on farming. As the number of factories grew, owners needed large amount of workers and they didn’t want to pay them a high wage. They also needed large amount of families to be able to work.

Child labor So they hired children. Owners preferred children because they viewed them as cheap, more manageable, less likely to strike, and not educated enough to argue or complain against them. Also small enough to fit in between small areas that adult’s couldn’t.

Children work hours Children sometimes worked up to 19 hours a day. Most children worked hours a day, with the same minimal breaks. Children were paid only a fraction of an adult would get, and owners would sometimes get away with paying them nothing.

Treatment Treatment of children were often cruel and unusual. Children were beaten to simply keep them awake. Children’s safety was often neglected. Both boys and girls that worked in factories were beaten and other ways to inflict pain.

One common punishment for being late or not working would be to be “weighted”. “Weighted” was a cruel punishment that an overseer would tie a heavy weight to the worker’s neck, and have them walk up and down the aisles so the other workers would watch them and “take example”. It would usually last up to an hour. Which caused serious injuries in the back and neck. Treatment

Other Punishments… Boys were sometimes dragged off their beds naked sending them to work with cloths in hand to be put on the way. It was to make sure they were not late by even a few minutes.

Food Food was bad quality, covered with dust, and in bad condition to eat. Their meals consisted of milk-porridge (with a very blue complexion) bread, hot boiled potatoes, and more commonly oatcakes.

Improving Conditions The first step that helped improve conditions was in 1833 called the “Factory Act” passed by Parliament. It limited the amount of hours children of certain ages could work. Children of 9-13 years of age were only allowed to work 8 hours a day.

Those years old could not work more than 12 hours a day. And children under 9 were not allowed to work at all. Children were to attend school for no less than two hours during the day. Perhaps the most important part of this act was the government to appoint officials to make sure the act was carried and complied with. Improving Conditions

20 th Century In the early 20 th century, activists went even further to protect children’s right in labor. It made the government set up the Children’s Bureau in 1912 to monitor child labor. But even to this day child labor exists all over the world.