Children were widely used as labour in factories, mines, and agriculture during the British Industrial Revolution (1760-1840). Very often working the same 12-hour shifts that adults did, children as young as five years old were paid a pittance to climb under dangerous weaving machines, move coal through narrow mine shafts, and work in agricultural gangs.

Read by Lianne Walker and written by Mark Cartwright. Support our work on Patreon: https://www.worldhistory.org/patreon/