๐ Topic Summary
During the British Industrial Revolution, child labor was rampant. Children, some as young as four, worked long hours in factories, mines, and workshops. They faced dangerous conditions, low wages, and limited access to education. This exploitation was driven by the demand for cheap labor and the belief that children were more manageable and could perform certain tasks better than adults, such as fitting into small spaces in mines or operating machinery. The widespread use of child labor eventually led to social reforms and legislation aimed at protecting children, though the process was slow and faced resistance.
๐ง Part A: Vocabulary
Match the term with its correct definition:
- Term: Workhouse
- Term: Tenement
- Term: Piecer
- Term: Bobbin Doffer
- Term: Factory Act
- Definition: A law passed to improve working conditions, especially for children.
- Definition: A worker in a textile mill who mended broken threads on spinning machines.
- Definition: An institution where poor people lived and worked.
- Definition: A person who replaced full bobbins with empty ones on a textile machine.
- Definition: A run-down and often overcrowded apartment building.
โ๏ธ Part B: Fill in the Blanks
Fill in the blanks with the correct words:
Child labor during the Industrial Revolution was driven by the need for ______ labor. Children often worked in ______ and mines, facing dangerous conditions. The ______ aimed to improve working conditions for children.
Possible words: Factories, Cheap, Factory Act
๐ค Part C: Critical Thinking
If you could go back in time, what is one thing you would do to help children working during the British Industrial Revolution? Explain your reasoning.
