The Industrial Revolution, an era of technological advances, occurred during the 17th and 18th century. The Industrial Revolution has had a major impact on present day industrialization. Without the inventions and achievements of the Industrial Revolution, we would not have the technology that we have today. Along with the growth and success of the Industrial Revolution came poor living and working conditions. As a result of the large amount of industrialization, many people gave up working on farms to work in mills and factories. However, poor working conditions were not inevitable. Although it was common to work in unsanitary, dangerous conditions, research has proven that it is possible to have a healthy working environment in the factories and mills.
Throughout his lifetime, Charles Dickens visited factories in Lowell and Manchester, England. He wrote about the various conditions he witnessed during the Industrial Revolution. Dickens noticed many differences between the environments of the factories. Economic and social structures contributed to the differences in the establishment of industrialization in both locations. (Background Essay) “..Britain had a population boom, which created a large population of children to be hired at cheap wages”. On the other hand, “...the United States was expanding westward, which kept most parents and children from working on the farm together.” Therefore, families did everything in their power to avoid sending their children to work in the mills. Dickens believed that Lowell offered better working conditions than those of England. Lowell built boarding houses and forced women to keep a strict code of working behavior. He also believed that Lowell “showed him that it was possible for industry to become successful and humane at the same time.”
While in Lowell, Dickens recorded his observations of the working conditions of the factories and mills. Dickens observed, (Document A) “These girls, as I have said, were all well dressed.” Dickens noted that the people of the mills had a healthy appearance. Dickens also took note of their work environment. He recorded: “There were green plants…...There was as much fresh air, cleanliness, and comfort.” Few children worked at the mills. However, the children that did work at the mills worked for no longer than nine months a year to receive an education. Dickens stated, “...not one young girl...I would have removed from those works if I had had the power.” Lowell put the health and needs of their workers before making a profit which led to the success of Lowell’s industrialization.
The working environment of mills and factories in England differed greatly to conditions in Lowell. The workforce in England consisted mainly of children. Young children were often assigned dangerous jobs such as working the carding engine and cleaning cotton from in between spinning shafts. Also, it was observed that mills consisted of (Document B) “...so many as twenty girls without any woman presiding over them….” The mills were not only a hazard to workers’ health, but also to their privacy.
Often, workers wrote letters to their families at home, keeping them updated on their lives and schedules. For example, Mary Paul, at the age of fifteen began working in the Lowell mills and wrote to her father. While working in the mills, Mary received a sufficient payment and lived in a well-run boarding house. Mary did, however write to her father regarding factory incidents. Mary wrote, (Document C) “My life and health are spared while others are cut off. Last Thursday one girl fell down and broke her neck which caused instant death.” Although Mary wrote of tragic incidents that happened in the mills, she did write that she enjoyed working at the mills and planned on working there for at least one year.
Reports and letters from factory workers from England offer a different perspective of their work schedule. For example, Hannah Goode’s testimony to the Factory Inquiry Commission reports the horrid environment and conditions of a factory in England. Hannah Goode’s testimony states, (Document D) “We never stop to take our meals, except at dinner. It has gone on this six years and more….” Hannah Goone’s testimony states that her overlooker is cross-tempered and beats small children if they are not working correctly. Hannah was paid very little, could not read well, and did not know how to write. Hannah Goone’s testimony depicts the horrific conditions of the mills and the effects on their workers.
Based on this documentation, it is clear that poor working conditions were not inevitable in the mills during the Industrial Revolution. Although factories and mills in England offered dangerous work environments, the mills and factories of Lowell proved that was possible for mills to provide a safe work environment. Accidents were inevitable as a result of working with such dangerous equipment. However, the mills of Lowell proved that happy, healthy working conditions may exist while maintaining a successful industry during the era of the Industrial Revolution.
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