工業革命時期英國與美國的童工問題共性及比較ChildLaborintheU.S.andBritainduringtheIndustrialRevolutionParallelsandContrasts

Intheeighteenthandnineteenthcenturies,childlaborwasusedthroughouttheworld,particularlyinindustrializingcountries.Britainwasthefirstcountrytobeindustrialized.Childlabortherewasprimarilyusedinthetextileindustry.TheU.S.borrowedmanyideasfromtheBritishduringtheIndustrialRevolution.InBritain,thefirstruraltextilemillswerebuilt,andchildrenwereamajorpartoftheworkforce.ManchesterandLancashirewerethefirsttownstoestablishafactorysystem.

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IntheU.S.,SamuelSlateropenedthefirstmillinPawtucket,RISamuelSlater,aBritishimmigrant,isconsideredthe“FatherofAmericanIndustrialRevolution,”becausehebuiltthefirstwaterpoweredtextilemillintheU.S..HemodeledhisfactorysystemontheBritishsystem.1833

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18431892190419161937InBritain,51.2%ofchildrenundertheageofeighteenworkedinthetextilemillsand20%ofchildrenundertheageofthirteen.20092009PhotographedbyLewisHine:/servlet/SRC/1816

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IntheU.S.,in1830,55%ofmillworkersinRhodeIslandwerechildren.1830

TheLowellmillsemployedmostlyyoungwomenwithanaverageageoffifteentoeighteen.200920091833

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IntheU.S.,peoplestartedtoquestionchildlabor,butlawswerenotestablisheduntilmuchlater.1830

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InBritain:UntiltheFactoryActof1833,thefactoryownersdecidedhowlongthechildrenhadtowork.TheActprohibitedtheemploymentofchildrenundernineinalltextilemillspoweredbysteamandwater.3. Italsolimitedtheworkinghourstoninehoursperdayandmandatedschooling.1830

“ParliamentpassedfiveLabourLawsbetween1802and1833,butwasshrewdenoughnottovoteapennyfortheircarryingout...”(KarlMarx)

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IntheU.S.,thefirststatechildlaborlawwasestablishedinMassachusetts.1830

ChildreninMassachusettsundertheageoffifteenhadtoattendschoolforthreemonths.20092009PhotographedbyLewisHine:/press/press-kits/picturing-the-century-photos/sweeper-and-doffer-in-cotton-mill.jpgBritain

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IntheU.S.,statesbeganlimitingchildrentoaten-hourworkday...1830

...butthelawswerenotalwaysenforced!20092009Britain

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TheBritishFactoryActswereappliedtoalltrades.1830

TheActsprohibitedtheemploymentofchildrenunderten,andchildrenagedtentofourteencouldonlybeemployedhalfdays.20092009Britain

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IntheU.S.,theAmericanFederationofLaborrecommendedbanningfactoryemploymentforchildrenunderfifteenyearsofagebutnotbanningitaltogether.TheAFLalsorecommendedalawlimitingwomenandchildrentoamaximumeight-hourworkday.1830

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IntheU.S.theNationalLaborLawCommitteeforms,andchildlaborlawreformbegins.1830

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IntheU.S.,anewfederalchildlaborlawsetsaminimumageforemployment...1830

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...butitwasdeclaredunconstitutionalafterjusttwoyears.

PhotographbyLewisHine:/Wc2.htmEconomy?FreeChoice?SkillforTrade?Domesticworksameasfactorywork?“They[factoryreformers]believedthatfamiliescouldnotgiveupthewagesofchildren....Observersbelievedthattextilefactoriescouldnotrunwithoutchildlabor”(ClarkNardinelli,Historian,1990).“Noone,notparents,employers,orgovernmentshouldbeabletocoercechildrenintoorprohibitthemfromenteringworksituations.Childrenoldenoughtobesupportingthemselvesareoldenoughtomaketheirowndecisions”(WendyMcElroy,Feminist,2001).Criticsarguethatchildrenwhoworkinthefactorieslearnvaluableskillssuchasatradeandendurance.“Theworkwasoftenmoredifficultbecause[of]pressure...andtheoppressiveconditionsofthefactories....Taskswereharderandrequiredconcentrationandstrength....Childrenwere[watched]byanoverseerwhichcreatedfear”(CarolynTuttle,Historian,1999).OpinionsofChildLaborBritain

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IntheU.S.,minimumagesofemploymentandhoursforchildrenlaborersareregulatedbyfederallaw.1830

2009FactoryConditionsforChildreninBritainandtheU.S.intheEighteenthandNineteenthCenturiesFactoryownerspreferredusingchildrenforsometasksbecauseoftheirsmallsize.Itwasmoreprofitableforfactoryownerstoemploychildrenthanskilledadults.Britishfactoryownersprofitedbypurchasingorphanswhoworkedforverylowwages.Lackofsleepandanaveragedeighteen-hourworkdayinBritainandintheU.S.contributedtomistakesandinjuries.SomechildreninBritainandintheU.S.werementallyandphysicallyabusedbytheirsupervisors,andtheirsafetywasneglectedbyfactoryownerswhocaredmoreaboutprofitthanwell-being.Britain

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Childlaborstillexiststoday.

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