1. Industrial Revolution: Reforms

2. Labor Unions  By the 1800’s, working people became more active in politics  Workers joined voluntary labor associations called unions to press for reforms

3. Labor Unions  Unions :  Negotiated between workers and their employers  Bargained for better working conditions and higher pay  If demands were refused, union members could strike

4. Labor Unions  Skilled workers led the way to forming unions  Why might this be?  Special skills gave them extra bargaining power as they were harder to replace.  Combination Acts of 1799 and 1800 (Great Britain): outlawed unions and strikes  Factory workers ignored threats of jail or job loss and joined unions anyways

5. Labor Unions  1824-Parliament repealed the Combination Acts  By 1825 unions were tolerated  By 1875, Right to strike and picket peacefully  Membership of about one million people.

6. Think, Pair, Share…  What problems do we see with Child Labor?  What new laws would you propose to parliament?  What will the implications be?

7. Reforms  1830s – Parliament starts to investigate child labor issues in mines  The Factory Act of 1833  Illegal to hire children under the age of 9  Children 9-12 could not work more than 8 hours a day  Those 13-17 could not work more than 12 hours a day

8. Reforms  The Mines Act of 1842  Prevented women and children from working underground  Ten Hours Act of 1847  limited women and children to working 10 hours a day in factories

9. Other Reform Movements  Abolition of Slavery – Slavery existed in British colonies (but not Britain itself) – abolished in the empire in 1833  Some were morally opposed to slavery, others opposed it because they saw it as a threat to industry  Cheap labor over slave labor

10. Other Reform Movements  Women’s rights – often paid 1/3 of what men were paid  Inspired by abolitionists’ work against slavery, women realized they could gain rights as well by protesting and striking