Child Labor: The Industrial Revolution

The industrial revolution was a transition from an agricultural society to a more technological, urban society. Laborers were needed as an abundance of factories opened in cities. It was very common for women and children to work in the factories. However, the factories were cruel to employees, unsanitary, and a huge hazard to children. Many factory owners would beat the children with sticks and whips. In a primary source by John Birley ,who worked at a cotton mill since the age of 5, it is displayed he suffered perpetually. He recalled the moment when “Frank once beat [him] till he frightened himself. He thought he killed [him]”. Birley’s words simply show the cruel pain children had to endure in many factories. He was beaten until he was close to death. Not only were factories full of cruel treatment , but full of unsanitary conditions for the laborers. …show more content…
In an interview, Dr. Ward, who “visited three cotton factories”, “could not remain ten minutes in the factory without gasping for breath”. He reveals that the air is so toxic and polluted that it is hard to breathe in the factories where many children reside. Polluted air could lead to many causes of illness that can be deadly to many children. Children did not only face the dangers of polluted air, but the dangers of machines. Even though machines were the reason the industrial revolution prospered, they also cause many tremendous injuries on children’s limbs. In Dr. Ward's interview, he reveals that when “children’s hands and arms [get] caught by the machinery… [the] skin stripped down to the bone”. Children had to lose feelings in the muscle because the machines were too hazardous for them. It is also clear that the machines were not under an adult's provision, allowing many accidents to occur within a day. It can be clear that factories were a threat to