Factory Girls: The Working Lives of Women and Children

This book explores the history of women and children who worked in factories and coal mines during the Industrial Revolution and early 20th century, highlighting the long hours, dangerous conditions, and low pay they faced. It also covers the social reformers, feminism, activism, and Factory Acts that aimed to improve their conditions. The book concludes with a survey of the art, literature, and music that reflected their experiences.

Format: Hardback
Length: 272 pages
Publication date: 30 August 2022
Publisher: Pen & Sword Books Ltd

Since the inception of factories, women and children have frequently been employed within their premises. However, it is less widely recognized that women also engaged in underground coal mining and overground chimney scaling during the Industrial Revolution. Young children, too, were subjected to labor in factories and coalmines, often working in confined spaces and enduring extreme hunger to ascend increasingly narrow chimneys. This book chronicles the unfortunate yet aspirational tale of women and children in employment throughout the Industrial Revolution and into the early 20th century. The absence of women would have rendered the pre-industrial cottage industries non-existent, and the Industrial Revolution would not have achieved its industrial and revolutionary magnitude without their contributions. Numerous women and children were compelled to undertake employment in mills and factories, characterized by long working hours, hazardous environments, toxic conditions, monotony, bullying, abuse, and paltry wages. A typical day at work entailed these hardships before they returned home to fulfill their responsibilities as homemakers and caregivers. This long overdue and indispensable book also delves into the social reformers, the role of feminism and activism, and the various Factory Acts and trade unionism. It explores the profound impact of chronic occupational diseases and disabling industrial injuries on women and children, altering their lives and often leading to their destitution. The book concludes with a survey of the art, literature, and music that served as the backdrop for the factory girl and the climbing boys.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781399011921