Factory Reform in 19th Century Britain Flashcards
Which wealthy London merchant campaigned to improve working conditions for chimney sweeps and in what year was his act introduced? 2 marks
Jonas Hanway, 1788
Which author raised public awareness of the mistreatment of child chimney sweeps in his book ‘The Water-Babies’ in 1863?
Charles Kingsley
Why were the 1834 and 1840 Chimney Sweeps Acts pointless?
The acts were ignored because there was no way of enforcing them
What did the 1875 Chimney Sweepers’ Act provide?
Required sweeps to be licensed and made sure that the police enforced all previous legislation
When was the Health and Morals of Apprentices Act passed and what did it do?
1802 - determining the fair treatment of apprentices and general cleanliness of the workplace
Which act of parliament was brought about by Robert Owen?
1819 Cotton Mills Act
Where did Robert Owen have his experimental factory town?
New Lanark
What provisions were included in the 1833 Factory Act? Give 3 points.
Forbade the employment of children under 9 in all textile mills, children under 13 were not allowed to work for more than 9 hours a day and not more than 48 hours in one week, under 18s not allowed to work for more than 12 hours a day or at night at all, factory children had to have 2 hours of education each day
Which 2 people were pressing parliament to introduce a 10 Hour Day?
Richard Oastler and George Bull
Why was the 1833 Factory Act criticised by reformers at the time?
Because it did not provide for it to be enforced as there was only a small team of 4 as inspectors
Which MP worked tirelessly to get the 10 Hour Act passed?
John Fielden
What did the 1844 Factory Act provide?
First health and safety act in Britain e.g. all dangerous machinery to be fenced off, no child to clean mill machinery in motion, limited children to 6 and half hours work, 3 hours schooling, maximum 12 hour day for those 13-18, 12 hour rule applied to women.
Give 2 reasons why the 1833 Factory Act was important?
4 man inspectorate created, most advanced act for its time, system of government control, home office responsible, penalties for evasion,
When was the next substantial Factory Act after 1844?
1867
What did the 1867 Factory Act propose? 2 points
Applied all existing legislation to all factories employing more than 50 people, brought regulation to other industries e.g. iron and steel mills, brought more improvements to the working conditions.
When did the government set up a royal commission into coal mines?
1842
What forced the government to set up a royal commission into coal mines? Give 2 reasons.
Public outcry over the reports of working conditions in mines, degradation of women and children working in mines, children working in the dark as trappers and strappers, treatment by employers
Which MP was responsible for the Mines and Collieries Act in 1842?
Anthony Ashley-Cooper/Lord Shaftesbury
What did the Mines and Collieries Act provide?
Prohibition of underground work for women and girls and for boys under 10
Which later act improved safety rules and raised the age limit for boys from 10 to 12?
Coal Mines Regulation Act of 1860
What did the Coal Mines Regualtion Act of 1872 do?
requirement for pit managers to have state certification of their training, miners given the right to appoint inspector from among themselves
What did the Mines Regulation Act of 1881 do?
Empowered the home secretary to hold inquiries into the causes of mine accidents
Give the dates of 2 further factory acts of the 19th Century.
1878, 1890, 1891, 1895
Who set the template for the factory system?
Richard Arkwright in 1771
Define capitalism
economic concept where trade, businesses and the means of production are mostly own privately and run for profit
Give 3 reasons why capitalism did not benefit the factory workers. 3 marks
Owners put profit before welfare, driving down of wages to maximise profit, health and safety issues, poor ventilation, no job ssecurity, decline of independence, more automised working environment, exploitation of workers, long hours, children working in factories
What was the average working day for a male in a factory in the early 19th Century?
12-14 hour days
What is the mimimum hour working day that men had to work throughout the 19th Century despite legislation?
10 Hours
If a factory worker was 10 minutes late for a shift what was a common punishment?
docked 2 hours pay
Why were there hardly any health and safety measures in factories before 1844?
Employers did not care and would not spend any money on them causing large numbers of accidents.
What was invented in 1815 to help miners see in the dark?
the Davy Lamp
Why did production of coal increase from 6 to 55 million tons between 1770 and 1850?
To feed the steam engines of the industrial revolution
Within coal mining what was the most common form of employment contract?
miners were ‘bound’ to their employers for an agreed length of time e.g. a year and for an agreed sum
What was the problem with the contract system within mining?
Employer did not have to provide work throughout the year
What was the average factory wage?
12-15 shillings a week
What act was passed in 1875 which required sweeps to be licensed and made sure that the police enforced all previous legislation?
Chimney Sweepers’ Act
What act was passed in 1802 determining the fair treatment of apprentices and general cleanliness of the workplace
Health and Morals of Apprentices Act
What act was passed in 1842 which prohibited underground work for women and girls and for boys under 10
Mines and Collieries Act
What act was passed in 1881 which empowered the home secretary to hold inquiries into the causes of mine accidents
Mines Regulation Act
