Child Labor
At about what age did many children begin working in factories?
As young as four, typically around age six.
What was one major problem reformers wanted to stop?
Children working in dangerous factories and mines.
How many hours did workers typically work in a day during much of the 1800s?
About 12 hours.
What is urbanization?
The growth of cities as more people move into them.
What is a labor union?
An organization of workers who join together to protect their rights and improve working conditions.
Why did factory owners hire children instead of only adults?
Children could be paid less than adults. They were easier to manage and there were no laws to protect them, meaning they could be overworked, injured and underpaid.
In what year did Britain pass the Factory Act that restricted child labor?
1833.
How many days per week were factory workers expected to work?
Six days a week.
Why did people move from the countryside to cities during the Industrial Revolution?
Factories offered jobs, and changes in farming reduced the need for agricultural workers.
What is a strike?
When workers stop working to demand changes from their employer.
Name one dangerous job or task children performed during the Industrial Revolution.
Squeezing inside machinery to make repairs or working in dangerous mines.
What did Britain's Factory Act of 1833 do to child labor?
It restricted factory labor for children under nine and reduced working hours for children ages 9–13.
What is one example of a dangerous condition workers faced in factories?
Unguarded machinery, slippery floors, spinning blades, or molten steel.
What were tenements?
Overcrowded apartment buildings where many working-class families lived.
Why did workers form labor unions during the Industrial Revolution?
To work together to demand better wages, shorter hours, and safer working conditions.
Why did some families depend on their children's wages?
Families often struggled financially, and children's earnings helped them survive.
Why did child labor laws often have little impact at first?
Businesses ignored the laws, or governments failed to enforce them.
Why was factory work often repetitive and boring?
Each worker was assigned a specific task instead of doing many different jobs.
How did rapid urbanization contribute to environmental problems?
Growing populations produced more waste and sewage, while crowded cities often lacked adequate sanitation systems.
Why could a strike be more powerful when many workers participated?
The factory could lose production and money when many workers stopped working at the same time.
Why was child labor especially harmful to children's futures, beyond the immediate dangers at work?
It often prevented them from attending school, limiting their education and future opportunities.
Why was passing a law not always enough to protect child workers?
Without strong enforcement and consequences, employers could continue exploiting children despite the law.
How did factory owners' focus on efficiency affect workers?
Workers had to keep up with machines and produce goods quickly, often with little concern for their safety or well-being.
What was one major source of air pollution in industrial cities?
Smoke released by factories burning fuel, especially coal.
How did labor unions and strikes challenge the power of factory owners? Explain how workers gained more influence by working together.
Workers could negotiate as a group, interrupt production through strikes, and pressure owners to improve wages, hours, and safety conditions.