Workers During The Industrial Revolution

As Vince Lombardi once said, “People who work together will win, whether it be against complex football defenses, or the problems of modern society.” Those of the working class during the Industrial Revolution could have used this motivation to stand up against the unfair wages, hours, and conditions of their workplace. Male workers were treated poorly, but female and child workers were treated worse. The laborers soon united together to create one force against the employers to stand up for their rights. The workers of the Industrial Revolution became aware that their conditions were inhumane and unacceptable, and they decided to make a change; this resulted in many reforms and gradual improvement of the workplaces. Before the Industrial
Men worked anywhere from textile factories to coal mines. A textile is a fabric that is produced by weaving or knitting of some sort. Work was necessary in textile factories because the textile industry was becoming successful during this time period. It was a popular way of manufacturing a sturdy material, causing a high demand of the product. These factories in particular became overcrowded and unsanitary. Children worked in factories and coal mines as well. This group of young laborers made up fifty percent of the factory labor force, and comprised thirty percent of the labor force in coal mines in Great Britain. Most of these children workers were teenagers, however, there were many children among them as young as three years-old. Women found work in areas such as textile factories, piece workshops, and coal mines. Because of the extreme need of income for families, most women had to leave their lives at home to work; in most cases, children had to work as well to support their
They were unacceptably low for men, but for women and children, the pay was a small fraction of the men’s. The working day for laborers of all ages was about ten to fourteen hours long. Because days were so long and the work became so monotonous during the Industrial Revolution, labor was miserable. Also, the conditions were unsafe and unsanitary all over the nation. Workers, children in particular, “worked from 10 to 14 hours a day. Some were deformed by their work or crippled by unsafe machines” (Jacobs). Catching disease became more common than ever. Most men during that time period lived no longer than forty years. Laborers were ready to stand up against the unjust conditions of their workplaces. However, there were many laws and rules set in place to keep the workers from rebelling against their employers. Laborers were not allowed to vote nor do anything legally to help their case. Many laws in Britain forbade trade unions; those who did join one were to be imprisoned. Jacobs explains the results of these