Child Labor
19th Century Britain L.hilbourn
Kids as the chimney sweepers
This young boy stops to pose for a photo after a long day of cleaning out chimneys for the people
Jobs Children Did in the Factories
- Victorian Child Labor covered a broad spectrum of occupations.
- The dirtiest jobs were given to the children. Many times a child would be told to clean under machines even while they were running.
- Factory machines made all kinds of things. Machines did jobs(that kids worked on or with), such as spinning, previously been done by families at home.
- Many young girls did the same task like spinning but would be paid less because they were a girl.
Hours, Food, and Working Conditions
- One of the on the job aspects of Victorian Child Labor was the dreadful working conditions.
- Victorian Children would work from 12 to 18 hours a day.
- The constant breathing in of soot caused irreversible lung damage in many children in the col mines.
- Children as young as five or six were forced to work thirteen to sixteen hours a day for slave wages and barely any food.
Accidents that often Happened
- Being sent down the chimney the first several times would cause the child’s arms, elbows, legs and knees to be rubbed and scraped raw.
- Many accidents occurred injuring or killing children on the job.
- Some children in the coal mines developed permanent spine deformation from having to walk stooped over constantly.
- In factories many children lost hands and feet trying to clean the machine(while it was still running).
Punisments Children Faced
- The treatment of children in factories was often cruel and unusual, and the children's safety was generally neglected.
- The people who the children served would beat them, verbally abuse them.
- Both boys and girls who worked in factories were subject to beatings and other harsh forms of pain infliction.
- An overseer would tie a heavy weight to worker's neck, and have them walk up and down the factory aisles so the other children could see them and "take example."
Efforts to Improve/Stop Child Labor
- There were people in this time period that strongly advocated the use or the abolishment of child labor, or at least the improvement of conditions.
- The first step to improving conditions was in 1833 with the Factory Act passed by Parliament.
- This limited the amount of hours children of certain ages could work.
- children were to attend school for no less than two hours during the day.