The Victorian Era•Occurred during Queen Victoria’s reign in the

United Kingdom (1837-1901)

•A period of prosperity for the British

•Became notorious (famous) for child labor

•Victorian literature is often characterized byits moralistic messages (Charles Dickens)

Queen Victoria in her coronation robes.Coronation-the act or ceremony of crowning

Victorian Fashion

Victorian England

Child Labor Victorian Era

• Children were seen as a good source of labor because

–Could be paid lower wages

–Had small bodies and hands that were easy to move

–Powerless and would not revolt (fight back)

(Child Labor Continued)

-Child labor played an important role in the development of the country’s economy

-Children were one of the main sources of labor in Victorian England

-Working conditions were terrible:-Children began working at the ages of 6 and 7 -Worked an average of 14-16 hour days in absolute filth-Sometimes chained and harnessed, crawling on their hands and knees carrying their heavy loads

Child Labor Laws Today

• 1938- Federal regulation of child labor achieved in Fair Labor Standards Act (Federal Age and Hour Law)

• 1941- The Act was declared constitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court

• For the first time, minimum ages of employment and hours of work for children are regulated by federal law!

New York State Labor• Minimum Wage: $7.25

• Minimum age (for general work): 16

• Hours on a school night: May not work past 10 p.m.

• 14 and 15 year olds: May work farm labor and selling or distributing newspapers for no more than 3 hours on a school day.

• (there is a whole list of laws, these are just a few!)

Debtor’s Prison

Debtor’s Prison: a place of confinement for those who could not pay their taxes, rent, or debt.

Result: Prisoners would send their families, particularly children to work in factories to help pay off their debt.

Charles Dickens

• http://www.bbc.co.uk/drama/bleakhouse/animation.shtml

Before You Get Started:How to search the web

-Choose your search engine (google, yahoo, bing, ask, etc.)

-Type in a key word or phrase: Charles Dickens, biography of Charles Dickens, life of Charles Dickens, etc. (watch spelling!!!)

-Choose websites wisely! (Scan for inappropriate words before entering a site!)

Complete Sentence!

• 1st: Rephrase the question!• Ex: Where was Charles born?

– Charles was born in ______________________

•2nd: After you have rephrased the question, answer it!