Influences on the 1833 Factory Act Flashcards
What was wrong with working conditions during this period?
- Hot, damp, dusty and poorly ventilated working conditions
- Much of the hard labour was provided by women and children
Why were children such an important source of labour in the factories?
They were cheap to employ and could work in cramped conditions because they were smaller
Why was the role of children so dangerous?
Because they were expected to crawl around underneath machinery while it was still operating
Give an example of children being used for their smaller frame
In cotton mills children would be employed as scavengers, picking up loose cotton from underneath the machinery
How did factory owners overcome the fact that many parents refused to let their children work in the new factories?
They bought orphans and they became known as pauper apprentices - signing contracts that essentially made them the property of the factory owner
What had happened to pre-1830 campaigns to reduce working hours for children?
They had proved ineffective
What was established in 1830?
The Ten Hours Movement
How did the Ten Hours Movement promote their cause?
- Produced pamphlets and petitions
- Missionaries travelled around industrial areas to publicise the mistreatment and exploitation of children
Who were the two main groups that supported the Ten Hours Movement?
- The working class
- Upper and middle class humanitarians
What was the significance of radical Tory MP Richard Oastler in this movement?
- He publicised the idea of the noblesse oblige
- He wrote a letter reminding factory owners that had been supportive of abolition that something extremely similar was going on in their factories
What role did the reformers John Fielden and Michael Sadler play?
- Fielden was a factory owner who promoted the idea that decent wages and reasonable hours would make workers healthier and more productive
- Sadler was a Tory MP who chaired a committee recommending that hours in the textile industry be capped at 10 a day
Why was parliament unconvinced by Sadler’s committee findings?
Sadler was known as a key reformer and his evidence was thought to be too one sided and too dependent upon info provided by the THM
What had happened to the idea of industrial towns and factories by the 30s?
The expanding markets and increased production of goods meant that they were now an accepted part of the British landscape
How were working hours set?
According to the requirements of the owner rather than the wellbeing of the workforce, this meant that it was not uncommon for entire families to work 16 hour days
What was the counter arguement to the act from the opposition?
That it would necessitate a reduction in working hours for adults too
