factory reform

• What is a cottage industry?


  a business or manufacturing activity carried on in a person's home.
• What were the conditions of factories?

  No heater during winter, low pay, dangerous machines, long hours, no ac during summer, minimal lighting, child labor
• What is a philanthropist?


  Someone who wants to help those in need by raising money changing laws or giving support in some way
• Mine conditions

  - men cut coal from coal seams

  - women carried coal to surface

  - older children pushed carts

  - young boys were trappers and would sit in dark for 12 hours opened doors for carts and ventilation and were often ran over and lost legs
• Why did people want reform?

  - horrified about conditions of women and children in reports from inspectors and reform supporters

  - report written showed children caught under machines and showed girls carrying coal up to 150 kg

  - suggested under 18s shouldn't work more the 10 hours
• Why were people against reform?

  People believed in the 'laissez fairs politics."- that meant the government shouldn't be involved in people's lives and believed working conditions wer a private arrangement
• Problems with factory and mine act

  - workers opposed as it limited uc one

  - poor law amendment in 1834 increased pressure on workers
• Robert Owen and new Lanark


  - believed happy workers work better

  - received funding from a Quaker

  - by 1810 introduced 8 hour days (decades before 10 hour day)

  - opened a school in 1816

  - new Lanark had a social club and meeting area

  - swearing and alcohol were banned

  - was visited by royals and MPs
• Edwin Chadwick


  - progressive family and studied law

  - responsible for reform of poor law

  - wrote a report on sanitary conditions of labouring populations

  - shows poor housing links to cholorea
• Elizabeth fry


  - Quaker

  - shocked by prison conditions- women and children huddled into 2 cells, had to cook and clean, children shared cells with murders

  - brother was an mp and pushed successful prison and transport ship reforms
• Josephine Butler


  - cousin of earl grey

  - evangelical Christian

  - campaigned for consent age to rise from 13-16

  - appalled how prostitutes were seen as ungodly

  - 1869 contagious disease act kept stds away from armed forces and allows police to examine any suspected prostitution
• Workers' Guilds


  - controlled prices wages in medival England

  - terms and conditions of service negotiated one - on - one

  - small workshops where work was fair
• Opposition to technology

  Luddite's - broke machinery and hoped owners would turn away from technology

  Swing rioters - angered by depression after naepolic wars - set fire to farms
• Combination act 1825


  - Allowed workers in the factories to come together in trade unions to negotiate wages and conditions they could not use intimidation or PICKET
• Grand National Consolidated Trades Union

  - own set up GNCTU in 1833 to bring workers together

  - bought in bulk and sold to cooperative members shops

  - half a million workers per week

  - 6 workers arrested for swearing an oath to protect income
• New model unions

  -Amalgamated society of engineers set up in 1851 - highly skilled men who payed a weekly subscription - received sick pay in return -33,000 members

  - new model union of carpenters in 1860 and tailors in 1868

  - by 1870 trade unions had legal status and members could picket for rights
• New Unionism

  - new model unions only benefited richer, skilled workers

  - during 1880s unskilled workers organised themselves and stricked successfully

  - this strength paved the way for a move into politics with the creation of the independent Labour Party
• Match Girl's Strike

  Date - 1888

  Who- women and children who made matches

  Where - Bryant and may factory

  Why - conditions were poor and women became ill by poisoning from chemicals in matches, caused phossy jaw, paid poor wages, fined

  What happened - went on strike with help of journalist who publishes 'white slaves of London
• Dockers strike

  When - 1889

  Wh0 - dockers led by Ben Tillet

  Where- London dockyards

  Why- wanted a pay increase from 5p to 6p an hour, wanted overtime and a guarantee of a 4 hour work day

  What happened- went on strike, marched through London with fish heads and rotten vegetables, picketed gates of London docks
• Impact of New Unionism on trade unions

  - between 1888 and 1891 union membership doubled and there were 2 million union members by 1899

  - replaced small unions and increased bargaining power

  - first labour council dedicated to workers interests met in West Ham in 1895

  - 1896 picketing was made illegal

  - 1901 - taff vale judgement said unions had to pay compensation for loss of income caused by strikes which weakened unions
• Factory act

  - 1833 - banned employment under 9 and limited hours under 13

  - 1878- prohibited work before 10, raised school leaving age to 12 and had to reach reading and arithmetic requirements
• Education act


  1870 - compulsory schooling for all 5-12 year olds