A major issue of the Industrial Revolution was the problem of finding workers. Factory jobs were not appealing and many people did not want to take them. Businesses soon turned to child labor as the solution.
Orphans, or foundlings, were the first children to work the factories. Although as time went on and more and more people moved to the cities of Europe, families fell into severe poverty and took any jobs they could to support themselves. With both parents in a family working, it became necessary for children to work as well so as keep the family together. Children as young as six years could get jobs in factories.
The conditions of work were terrible. Before any legislation or regulations were passed, children could be worked up to 19 hours a day, with little over an hour for break time. They received very little pay, nothing in comparison to that of the adult workers. Injuries were common, for they worked long hours of monotonous work next to giant, dangerous machines. Not only that, but they were treated very poorly. The bosses cared little for their workers' safety, often beating and verbally abusing them to keep them working or from falling asleep on the job. A common punishment for children if they were late to work was to be "weighted." A heavy weight would be tied around the child's neck while he or she was forced to walk through the factory, setting an example for the other children.
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