The Industrial Revolution:
The Factory SystemUrbanizationProletariatUnionsFactory ConditonsImprovements
The Factory SystemFactory System: society that is
organized by factories to meet the demands of the textile and manufacturing industries’ products for consumers.
Leads to urbanization.
Proletariats: unskilled laborersThe “Working Class”
Factory system = poor working conditions
The first unions.
“Solidarity Forever, the Union Song!”
Working Conditions in
Factories
Scavengers
Food in the Factory
Factory Accidents
Mary RichardsDeformitiesVideo
Sir Robert Owen A factory owner concerned
about the well being of his employees.
“Healthy, happy employees makes higher production.”
Owen wanted to make a school for employee children and a store for his workers.
He wanted to regulate the communities around his factory.
Owen believed in morals
Robert Owen, 1771-1858
Owen’s factory at New Lanark
Improved Working Conditions Owen publicly said that the current working
conditions in factories exploited women and children.
As a result, governments began to request change in the factories, particularly with wages and hours worked among children and women (Sadler Commission—1832)
Result: Factory Act Over the years, more improvements to the legislation would be added.
Factory Act 1819: Limited the hours worked by children to a maximum of 12 per day.
Factory Act 1833: Children under 9 banned from working in the textiles industry and 10-13 year olds limited to a 48 hour week.
Factory Act 1844: Maximum of 12 hours work per day for Women.
Factory Act 1847: Maximum of 10 hours work per day for Women and children.
Factory Act 1850: Increased hours worked by Women and children to 10 and a half hours a day, but not allowed to work before 6am or after 6pm.
Factory Act 1874: No worker allowed to work more than 56.5 hours per week
Owen’s Utopia “a perfect world” “The greatest happiness for the greatest
number of people”utilitarianism
Alexander “Boss” Gibson’s Home in Marysville
