Child Labor during the Industrial Revolution
Children were a relatively large proportion of the work forces in coal and metal mines in Britain. In 1842, the proportion of the work forces that were children in coal and metal mines ranged from 19 to 40%. By this time, one-third of the underground work force of coal mines were under the age of 18 and one-fourth of the work force of metal mines were children. In 1851, children and youth (under 20) composed 30% of the total population of coal miners in Great Britain. After the Mining Act of 1842 was passed, fewer children worked in mines.
Such work for young children is considered child labor, which is "the use if children in industry or business, especially when illegal or considered inhumane," according to dictionary.com.
In 1838, Jenkin (1927) estimates that roughly 5,000 children were employed in the metal mines of Cornwall and by 1842 the returns from The First Report show as many as 5,378 children worked in the mines. In 1838, Lemon collected data from 124 tin, copper and lead mines in Cornwall and found that 85% employed children. In the 105 mines that employed child labor, children comprised from as little as 2% to as much as 50% of the work force with a mean of 20% (Lemon, 1838). According to Jenkin the employment of children in copper and tin mines in Cornwall began to decline by 1870 (1927, 309).
Given the role of child labor in the British Industrial Revolution, many try to understand why child labor became so prevalent. Some theories suggest that the plentiful supply of children along with the prevailing status of poverty among many families increased child labor because industries took advantage of the impoverished families that were in desperate need of the extra income. Other believe that some parents found child labor to be traditional, since they had worked in their youth they required their children to do the same. The prevailing view of childhood for the working-class was that children were considered "little adults" and were expected to contribute to the family's income or enterprise. A few amount argue that parents either sent their children to work because they were greedy and wanted more income to spend on themselves or that children wanted out of the house because their parents were emotionally and physically abusive.
Other explanations argue that it was demand, not supply, that increased the use of child labor during the Industrial Revolution. These explanations are that children were a cheap source of labor along with the fact that most children were most likely to be more submissive. Finally, a few scholars argue that the nimble fingers, small stature and suppleness of children were especially suited to the new machinery and work situations. They argue children had a comparative advantage with the machines that were small and built low to the ground as well as in the narrow underground tunnels of coal and metal mines. The Industrial Revolution, in this case, increased the demand for child labor by creating work situations where they could be very productive. Whatever the reasoning, scholars agree that since mandatory schooling laws were not passed until 1876, even well-intentioned parents had few alternatives.
Despite the laws there were still many children employed in textiles and mining by mid-century. Booth calculated there were still 58,900 boys and 82,600 girls under 15 employed in textiles and dyeing in 1881. In mining, the number did not show a steady decline during this period, but by 1881 there were 30,400 boys under 15 still employed and 500 girls under 15. Slowly, the amount of chid labor slowly declined in Great Britain. Now, child labor has become a fading memory for Britons, although it still remains a social problem and political issue for developing countries today.
Such work for young children is considered child labor, which is "the use if children in industry or business, especially when illegal or considered inhumane," according to dictionary.com.
In 1838, Jenkin (1927) estimates that roughly 5,000 children were employed in the metal mines of Cornwall and by 1842 the returns from The First Report show as many as 5,378 children worked in the mines. In 1838, Lemon collected data from 124 tin, copper and lead mines in Cornwall and found that 85% employed children. In the 105 mines that employed child labor, children comprised from as little as 2% to as much as 50% of the work force with a mean of 20% (Lemon, 1838). According to Jenkin the employment of children in copper and tin mines in Cornwall began to decline by 1870 (1927, 309).
Given the role of child labor in the British Industrial Revolution, many try to understand why child labor became so prevalent. Some theories suggest that the plentiful supply of children along with the prevailing status of poverty among many families increased child labor because industries took advantage of the impoverished families that were in desperate need of the extra income. Other believe that some parents found child labor to be traditional, since they had worked in their youth they required their children to do the same. The prevailing view of childhood for the working-class was that children were considered "little adults" and were expected to contribute to the family's income or enterprise. A few amount argue that parents either sent their children to work because they were greedy and wanted more income to spend on themselves or that children wanted out of the house because their parents were emotionally and physically abusive.
Other explanations argue that it was demand, not supply, that increased the use of child labor during the Industrial Revolution. These explanations are that children were a cheap source of labor along with the fact that most children were most likely to be more submissive. Finally, a few scholars argue that the nimble fingers, small stature and suppleness of children were especially suited to the new machinery and work situations. They argue children had a comparative advantage with the machines that were small and built low to the ground as well as in the narrow underground tunnels of coal and metal mines. The Industrial Revolution, in this case, increased the demand for child labor by creating work situations where they could be very productive. Whatever the reasoning, scholars agree that since mandatory schooling laws were not passed until 1876, even well-intentioned parents had few alternatives.
Despite the laws there were still many children employed in textiles and mining by mid-century. Booth calculated there were still 58,900 boys and 82,600 girls under 15 employed in textiles and dyeing in 1881. In mining, the number did not show a steady decline during this period, but by 1881 there were 30,400 boys under 15 still employed and 500 girls under 15. Slowly, the amount of chid labor slowly declined in Great Britain. Now, child labor has become a fading memory for Britons, although it still remains a social problem and political issue for developing countries today.