Child labor was common in Victorian factories, mines, and domestic service. Many children from poor families began working as early as six or seven, with long shifts and dangerous conditions. Industrialization created demand for cheap labor, exploiting family necessity. Education was minimal or nonexistent, and ragged schools were the only option for some. Children were tasked with heavy lifting, operating machinery, or cleaning, often risking injury or death. Reformers and authors like Dickens exposed these conditions to encourage legislation. The working-class childhood experience starkly contrasted the protected, leisurely lives of middle and upper-class children.
Child labor shaped life expectancy, literacy, and social mobility in the Victorian era.
It highlights the intersection of poverty, industrialization, and social policy.
Did you know that some Victorian factories employed children in shifts as long as 12 hours?
[British Library, britishlibrary.uk]