http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/magazine-17673213/lewis-hine-the-child-labour-photos-that-led-to-change
Interesting. Not that long ago either in the grand scheme of things.
I'm proud to say the UK lead the way with many significant 19th century reforms. The 1833 Factory Act made it illegal to employ children under the age of 9 with employers having to hold an age certificate for child workers. Those aged 9 to 13 not working more than 9 hours a day and those aged over 13 to 18 not being able to work more than 12 hours a day. This was followed by the 1844 Factory Act where children aged 9-13 years old could not work more than 6.5 hours per day and the 1901 Act so no children under 12 years old allowed to work. Imagine how today's snowflakes would cope with this.
Where there was a growing need for a literate and numerate workforce, the 1870 Education Act allowed religious schools to continue, but where more schools were needed the act was a framework and provided funding for the setting up of state schools. The 1880 Education Act made attendance compulsory between the ages of 5 and 10.
To see how much conditions had improved from the pre-Industrial Revolution 17th-18th century can be seen in the UK's massive population growth where before this there was a feudal subsistence farming system, with virtually no population growth or increased wealth, where the death or incapacity of a parent would often condemn a family to a winter of starvation and death. Things have continued to improve since the start of the Industrial Revolution where we have all got richer, healthier, better fed with ever-increasing lifespans. This is the miracle of free people, free markets, capitalism and democracy the only successful political and wealth creation system that has ever worked on this planet.
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Topic: One for Rods2 - child labour photos 100 years ago. (Read 761 times)