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Working Conditions During The Industrial Revolution

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Working Conditions During The Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution, spanning from the late 18th to the early 19th century, was a pivotal period in human history. There were significant technological advancements, economic transformations, and social upheavals. During the industrial revolution, the lives of the working class were negatively impacted. The working class was made up of both children and adults during this period. Firstly, the children, found themselves pushed into a new era of labor characterized by harsh working conditions, long working hours, and subjection to injuries. Secondly, the adult miners, found themselves faced with the possibility of death, being crushed and small spaces. Finally, the adult factory workers experienced dirty workplaces, long hours and no protective equipment.

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He notes, "The use of child labor in factories and mines became widespread during the Industrial Revolution, with children as young as five or six being employed in hazardous conditions." These children toiled long hours in hazardous conditions, performing tasks beyond their physical and emotional capacities. For instance, in textile factories, children were employed in dangerous jobs such as cleaning machinery or crawling under moving parts to retrieve fallen materials. Similarly, in coal mines, children as young as eight were employed to crawl through narrow tunnels, hauling heavy carts of coal in cramped and poorly ventilated spaces. Such conditions lead to chronic health issues among child laborers. As Friedrich Engels observed in his seminal work, "The Condition of the Working Class in England," published in 1845, "The employment of children under nine years of age has grown in Lancashire to fearful proportions... the condition of these children is appalling; they are overworked, enfeebled, and starved,

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