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Child Labor

The use of child labor in industrialized Britain was more systematic and widespread than the agricultural work traditionally done by peasant children before the Industrial Revolution. In factories children were separated from thier families and forced to work long and exhausting schedules. Children were employed by factories and mills because they were cheap labor, there was a plentiful supply of them, they were less likely to complain about conditions and injuries, they were small and agile, and there were initially no laws preventing employment of children. The conditions in the factories for children were horrible: long hours, an absence of recreation and education, harsh discipline, and injuries and poor health. Children could be employed in factories, mines, potteries, agriculture, and as chimney sweeps. There were soon laws passed to protect the children like the Factory Acts of 1833 and 1844 and the Mines Act of 1842.