English Textile Factories During The Industrial Revolution

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When the Industrial Revolution hit England, everything changed. Textile factories sprang up, people flocked to the cities, the population boomed, and the standard of living went up. However, not everything changed for the better. English textile factories were bad for the health or working class families because of the long hours, child endangerment, and occasions of abuse. At this time, employees were forced to work for an absurd amount of time. This includes children, who need their sleep to grow and develop. “... In many mills they [children] are forced to work thirteen, fourteen, or fifteen hours per day, and that they have not time either for play or for education” (Edward Baines, 1835). Even while opposing legislation regulating factories, Baines admits how much the employees must work. These long hours can be very detrimental to their health especially when one takes into account the work conditions. …show more content…

Heavy machinery and a lack of real safety protocols put employees at risk, especially children. “Last summer I visited Lever Street School. The number of children at that time in the school, who were employed in factories, was 106. The number of children who had received injuries from the machinery amounted to very nearly one half. There were forty-seven injured this way” (Ward, 1819). This data shows just how high the risk of injury was in the factories. In more the severe injuries, they risked being handicapped for the rest of their lives, which would affect their ability to find more work. In addition, Ward said, “...we could not remain ten minutes in the factory without gasping for breath… if we take into account the heated temperature of the air, and the contamination of the air, it is a matter of astonishment to my mind, how the work people can hear the confinement for so great a length of time” (Ward, 1819). This shows the awful conditions the children were in six days a week, fifteen hours a

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