List of Reforms and Acts

Here is a list of some reforms and acts passed by the British government:

• 1802: Health and Morals of Apprentices Act- limited the workday of apprentices to 12 hours.

• 1819: Peel’s Factory Act – cotton mills cannot employ children under the age of 9. Workdays for children 9-16 years old limited to 12 hours.

• 1833: Factory Act – 1819 act extended to all textile mills except silk and lace. Workdays for children 9-16 years old limited to 8 hours, 13-18 limited to 12 hours. Children under 13 must receive education for 2 hours per workday, paid for by the worker.

• 1842: Mines Act – women, girls, and boys under the age of 10 prohibited from underground work.

• 1844: Factory Act – (textile mills only) workday for women and children aged 8-13 limited to 6.5 hours a day. Children must receive a minimum of 3 hours of education each day. Women forbidden to do nightwork and limited to 12 hours of work.

• 1847: Factory Act – workday for women and children aged 13-18 limited to 10 hours per day or 58 hours per week.

• 1853: Employment of Children in Factories Act – children aged 8- 13 cannot work before 6 a.m. or after 6 p.m., or 2 p.m. on Saturday

• 1867: Factory Act Extension Act and Hours of Labour Regulation Act – earlier factory legislation extended to include nontextile factories and workshops. Prohibits employment of children under 8. Children 8-13 years must receive minimum of 10 hours of education per week

• 1867: Agricultural Gangs Act – prohibited employment of children under 8 and employment of women and children in a field gang that includes men

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