Child Labor

During the Industrial Revolution, working conditions were despicable, especially for children. In 1832, Parliament made a committee to inspect the conditions of factories. The committee found that the labor that the children were made to do was on the verge of abuse, so they passed the Factory Act of 1833. This Act made it illegal to hire children under the age of nine, and children between the ages of nine and twelve could not work more than eight hours a day. The act also stated that kids between the age of thirteen and seventeen could not work more than twelve hours a day. Despite how we might feel about this today, there were some split feelings to this new act. The families that belonged to the low class felt that this act hindered their ability to make ends meet. They felt that they needed their children to work the long hours for the income.