Factory Conditions In The 1800s

The period of the Industrial Revolution (1750-1850) was characterized by a time of change and development, to which the cotton industry and scientific machinery advancement acting as the engines driving radical demographic and social change. The developments in the factory system subsequently led to the demographic shift from rural to urban society. The demographic shift depressed the living standards of workers of the of the manufacturing systems and left the aggravated conditions of labor and poverty remain relatively unnoticed. The parliamentary investigations of the textile factory conditions of the Sadler Committee report and Andrew Ure’s contrasting stance in defense to the factory provided insight to the labor movement.
In 1832, Michael
[Bentley] When I was six years old. [Committee] What were your hours of labor in that mill? [Bentley] From five in the morning till nine at night, when they were thronged” (19). Elizabeth Bentley, however, was among the five included in the report, which was among the eighty-nine witnesses examined during the committee hearing and all reports were similar in testimony. Although questioned at a much later age, around their twenties, all the witnesses shared common reports like working majority of their day, facing the constant fear of a beating if they were slow or late, low pay, extremely short breaks, and they all began working as very young
In his book, Philosophy of Manufacturers, Ure claimed that there were no harmful conditions imposed on the workers other than their love for bacon. In his defense, cholera and extremely high temperatures were not harmful or a threat to the workers. Instead, during his visits to the factory, he stated, “I never saw a single instance of corporal chastisement inflicted on a child, nor indeed did I ever see children in ill-humor. They always seemed cheerful […] enjoying the mobility natural to their age” (22). Ure then recounted how, after the children would proudly show off their dexterity skills, they would play outside and enjoy themselves. His book ultimately denounced the Sadler Committee’s reports and testimonies of harsh disciplines, extensive work hours, and dangerous environment. Ure even described the children as, “lively elves” (23). Essentially, Ure stated that since the machines did not require much handling and completed majority of the tasks, children never showed cases of