Change & Industrialization

Work in the Home Benefits: –Weavers controlled schedules and product quality –Adjustments for illness, holidays, & seasons –Family life revolves around business –Deal directly with merchants

Problems for Cottage Industries Fire/flood could ruin business Range of technical skills required Some tasks required adult strength

Working in a Factory Work divided into simple, easy tasks Each worked given one task –Use of children –Young as 6 –Paid lower wages –Majority of workers: adult men

Dangers for Children Threads often snapped –Children could reach into running machines to get broken threads –Lost fingers At least 12-hour workday Noise Lack of ventilation Poor sanitation Inadequate food

1830s Public notice to poor factory conditions “We respect our masters, and are willing to work for our support, and that of our parents, but we want time for more rest, a little play, and to learn to read and write. We do not think it right that we should know nothing but work and suffering, from Monday morning to Saturday night to make others rich. Do, good gentlemen, inquire carefully into our concern.”

Life in Factory Towns Mill operations along rivers –Some companies provided housing –Dirty, cramped Switch to steam power->towns near coal mines –Soot from burning coal –Sulfur, poisonous chemicals

Smelting Iron Factories for smelting (refining) iron built near coal mines Dark, smoky pollution “black country” –Region in northwestern England –“black by day and red by night”

Manchester Textile city Symbolized problems of industrialization Two toilets per 250 residents About 6 in 10 children died before age of 5