Capital and LaborCapital and Labor

AP European HistoryAP European HistoryMcKay, Chapter 22McKay, Chapter 22

I. Class Consciousness I. Class Consciousness

1. A new group of 1. A new group of factory owners and factory owners and industrial capitalists industrial capitalists arose. These men and arose. These men and women and their women and their families strengthened families strengthened the wealth and size of the wealth and size of the middle class, which the middle class, which had previously been had previously been made up mainly of made up mainly of merchants and merchants and professional people.professional people.

2. The growth of new 2. The growth of new occupational groups in occupational groups in industry stimulated industry stimulated new thinking about new thinking about social relations. Often social relations. Often combined with combined with reflections of the reflections of the French Revolution, this French Revolution, this thinking led to the thinking led to the development of a new development of a new paradigm regarding paradigm regarding social relationships.social relationships.

II. The New Class of Factory II. The New Class of Factory OwnersOwners

1. Artisans and skilled 1. Artisans and skilled workers of exceptional workers of exceptional ability had ability had unparalleled unparalleled opportunities.opportunities.

2. The ethnic and 2. The ethnic and religious groups that religious groups that had been had been discriminated against discriminated against in the traditional in the traditional occupations jumped at occupations jumped at the new chances.the new chances.

3. Quakers and Scots 3. Quakers and Scots were important in England were important in England and Protestants and Jews and Protestants and Jews dominated banking in dominated banking in Catholic France.Catholic France.

4. Many of the 4. Many of the industrialist were newly industrialist were newly rich, and, not surprisingly, rich, and, not surprisingly, they were very proud and they were very proud and self-satisfied.self-satisfied.

5. A greater sense of 5. A greater sense of class consciousness class consciousness emerged.emerged.

III. The New Factory III. The New Factory WorkersWorkers

1. A pessimistic view of the life of factory workers 1. A pessimistic view of the life of factory workers and society in general was and accepted and and society in general was and accepted and reinforced by Friedrich Engels (1820-1895), the reinforced by Friedrich Engels (1820-1895), the future revolutionary colleague of Karl Marx.future revolutionary colleague of Karl Marx.

2. According to Engels, the new poverty of 2. According to Engels, the new poverty of industrial workers was worse than the old poverty of industrial workers was worse than the old poverty of cottage workers and agricultural laborers. The cottage workers and agricultural laborers. The culprit was industrial capitalism.culprit was industrial capitalism.

3. Not all shared Engels’ opinion, Andrew Ure wrote 3. Not all shared Engels’ opinion, Andrew Ure wrote in 1835 in his study of the cotton industry that in 1835 in his study of the cotton industry that conditions in most factories were not harsh and in conditions in most factories were not harsh and in fact were quite good.fact were quite good.

IV. Conditions of WorkIV. Conditions of Work

1. Early factories resembled English poor 1. Early factories resembled English poor houses, where totally destitute people went to houses, where totally destitute people went to live on welfare. Some poor houses were live on welfare. Some poor houses were industrial prisons where the inmates had to industrial prisons where the inmates had to work in order to receive their food and lodging.work in order to receive their food and lodging.

2. Cottage workers reluctance to work in 2. Cottage workers reluctance to work in factories prompted early cotton mill owners to factories prompted early cotton mill owners to turn to abandoned and pauper children for turn to abandoned and pauper children for their labor. By 1790 the use of pauper their labor. By 1790 the use of pauper apprentices was in decline, and in 1802 it was apprentices was in decline, and in 1802 it was forbidden by Parliament.forbidden by Parliament.

IV. Conditions of WorkIV. Conditions of Work

3. Many workers were now coming to the 3. Many workers were now coming to the factories as family units where every member factories as family units where every member of the family worked in some aspect in the of the family worked in some aspect in the factory.factory.

4. Conditions for the workers were very 4. Conditions for the workers were very difficult - in 1833, Parliament passed the difficult - in 1833, Parliament passed the Factory Act which limited the number of hours Factory Act which limited the number of hours children could work and established that no children could work and established that no children under nine could be employed and children under nine could be employed and were placed in elementary schools.were placed in elementary schools.

V. Sexual Divisions of V. Sexual Divisions of LaborLabor

1. The era of the Industrial Revolution witnessed 1. The era of the Industrial Revolution witnessed major changes in the sexual division of labor.major changes in the sexual division of labor.

2. The man emerged as the family’s primary 2. The man emerged as the family’s primary wage earner, while the woman found only limited wage earner, while the woman found only limited job opportunities.job opportunities.

3. Women were expected to concentrate on 3. Women were expected to concentrate on unpaid housework, child care, and craft work at unpaid housework, child care, and craft work at home.home.

4. The Mines Act of 1842 prohibited under gound 4. The Mines Act of 1842 prohibited under gound work for all women as well as for boys under ten.work for all women as well as for boys under ten.

VI. The Early Labor VI. The Early Labor MovementMovement

1. In 1799 Parliament passed 1. In 1799 Parliament passed the Combination Acts, which the Combination Acts, which outlawed unions and strikes.outlawed unions and strikes.

2. The Combination Acts were 2. The Combination Acts were widely disregarded by workers. widely disregarded by workers. Printers, papermakers, and Printers, papermakers, and other craftsmen continued to other craftsmen continued to take collective action, and take collective action, and societies of skilled factory societies of skilled factory workers also organized unions.workers also organized unions.

3. Unions sought to control 3. Unions sought to control the number of skilled workers, the number of skilled workers, limit apprenticeship to limit apprenticeship to members’ own children, and members’ own children, and bargain with owners over bargain with owners over wages.wages.

4. They were not afraid to strike; 4. They were not afraid to strike; there was a general strike of adult there was a general strike of adult cotton spinners in Manchester in cotton spinners in Manchester in 1810.1810.

5. Parliament repealed the 5. Parliament repealed the Combination acts in 1824, and Combination acts in 1824, and unions were tolerated, though not unions were tolerated, though not fully accepted after 1825.fully accepted after 1825.

6. In 1834, Robert Owen 6. In 1834, Robert Owen organized one of the largest organized one of the largest national unions, the Grand national unions, the Grand National Consolidated Trades National Consolidated Trades Union.Union.

7. This failed and craft unions 7. This failed and craft unions gained benefits for members and gained benefits for members and became an accepted part of the became an accepted part of the industrial scene.industrial scene.