A Christmas Carol Background
Isaac Mimong
Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens was born to John and Elizabeth Dickens. At an early age, he was sent to a factory to earn some money for his family because his father could not manage his money well and lost it so he was in debt and eventually sent to a debtors prison. Charles Dickens married Katherine Hoggart. Together they had 10 children.
Victorian Era
The Victorian Era was the era of Queen Victoria's rule in the U.K. The Victorian Era began in 1837 and ended in 1901 when Queen Victorian died. In the Victorian Age, there was a lot of child labor and poverty. There was a lot of poverty in the Victorian Age because the Industrial Revolution created a huge demand for food, clothing, and housing. Also, more factories were built, less people farmed, and new cities and towns developed.
Child Labor and Poverty during the Victorian Age
There was a lot of poverty and child labor during the Victorian age. In child labor, families sent their children that were old enough to work because they had little money and they relied on their kids to give them enough money to live on. Poverty was also a big deal in the Victorian Era. It was also the cause of child labor. Families became poor and many became homeless or in a debtors prison because they could not repay their debts. Charles Dickens' dad was sent to a debtors prison because he didn't manage his money spending correctly. Charles was soon sent to a shoe polishing factory to earn money for his family.
Industrial Revolution in the Victorian Era
At about the same time Queen Victoria began her rule, the Industrial Revolution also began. The Industrial Revolution made work a lot easier. Factories were set up and jobs were created to support those factories. Many people moved to the cities to find better work than farming. New cities and towns developed because of the Industrial Revolution. However, there was a drawback. The drawback was that many families were becoming poorer so poverty was increasing in the cities. As a result of this, child labor increased as well. Child labor is basically when a family sends a child of theirs off to a factory to earn some money for the family so they are not in poverty any more. Even the author Charles Dickens was sent into child labor. Working conditions were not good for the workers. They were given low pay with long hours and provided with crowded and unsanitary living quarters.