Assess The Role Of Social And Economic Reforms In The 19th Century

well as getting beaten ‘brutally by overseers’ if they ever took a break. These horrors during the 18th century are highlighted by Charles Dickens ‘Oliver Twist’ and child exploitation in the eyes of child labourer Robert Blincoe. Although Hopkins puts forward a convincing argument he fails to see the impact of legislation in the early 19th century put in place to combat this. Conditions in factories can be seen as immoral and harsh and it is important to see how the government recognised this and valuable to acknowledge the reforms taken to protect and make the life of a labourer easier and give them a sense of protection. Reform being long demand was provided during the early 19th century through the establishment of factory acts. The first
Hopkins on the other hand highlights how the measure to actually pass this piece of legislation was ‘delayed by the Lords’ in parliament being put forward in 1816 but finally passed in 1819; he also shows how this act in applied to children in cotton mills in the textile industry but didn’t to those working in lace making and other areas of employment. He also suggests that it was ‘poorly enforced’ without adequate safeguards to make sure there is no child labour or overworking. Hill would argue that this increasingly only led to a stronger movement for effective reform -especially in the industrial North. This weakens his argument as he admits himself the first pieces of legislation not being as effective as set out to. On top of this the evidence collected and published by Michael Sadler’s commission showed public opinion made sure some forms of real reform ‘inevitable’. This was to be achieved by the 1833 Althorp's factory act – often referred to as a ‘landmark in reform’ by making it possible for the first time the successful control of factory conditions by the establishment of a Births and Deaths Registration in 1836 which would allow the regulation on the limited work hours for children to be enforced
Hopkins shows how the conditions in the factors led to the formation of methods of protectionism. This was the first if it’s kind as ‘trade unionism had begun to advance in the 1820sdue to journeymen coming together for protection against employers. The formation of working class societies was the first to combine social aspects of a worker's life and make them politically recognisable. The Friendly Societies Act of proves this point as societies provide assistance against illness, unemployment and death gaining a legal status. It also allowed them in a legal way to help in times of adverts and for strike pay. This shows the extent in which the revolution improved lives for the better as workers had begun to get recognised in a way like never before and this was considered a ‘great landmark in the history of unionism’ with it trailing the way for further acts in 1824-25. Hopkins, an expert in the conditions working class faced due to his background as a lecturer in economic and social history at the university of Birmingham shows an alternative working class point of view which shows the realities of the new society brought by the industrial revolution. However the fact that he never explains the full effects of the revolution and focuses on a small time