Child Labor Seminar Reflection

In today's class we had a Socratic Seminar on child labor and the effects it can have on kids. I brought to the discussion the fact that child labor isn't just long days of work but it can be physically, mentally, and emotionally harmful to the kids. I also said that when kids work in fields the company will spray harmful chemicals and pesticides into the air and onto the crops which may burn the children and be horrible for their general health. I said that you can never really know if something is made with child labor because the companies will not classify their work as child labor and won't announce it to the public. Therefore never truly making it known that an item is made with child labor. One person had brought to the discussion that if you write something on the label that says made with child labor nobody is going to want to buy it. Other people said that if they were parents they would heavily look into their child's job to see if they will be apart of child labor. Some people also said that they were surprised that child labor still even exists in America. What I think we did well during the seminar is giving everyone the opportunity to speak and express what they thought about child labor. We also answered the questions with great description. Some things I thought that we could work on were coming up with original ideas and not saying the same thing somebody else had said. Another thing I thought we could work on is moving along quicker so we can give everyone the chance to speak in a good amount of time.

Britain and France Population Chart

The populations in Britain and France from 1700-1800 greatly varied from one another. Year after year the populations would increase. Britain's population almost doubled, Frances population nearly tripled in size, from the early to late 1700's. France had a bigger leap than Britain but it had also started out with more people than Britain.Chart

Cory Lyons City Inspector in England

Cory Lyons

This report dated 9/15/14 has been provided for the urban planning committees of various cities in England. My name is Cory Lyons, and as a mid-level city inspector I trust that you will use the information within to determine appropriate needs in urban planning for your municipalities. My report has been through as I have made use of all the sources available to me and have worked to guide you through my own analysis and critical thinking to a full description of the issues facing our cities.

There were some positive views of working in the industrial revolution city. On the Cotton Mill (doc B) it is viewed as gorgeous palaces. This place is beautiful and kept in tip top condition. People loved this place and working here was a luxury and a delight compared to some of the other options of work during this time. This place was piercing with positive energy and it was squeaky clean. When it is referred to as a gorgeous palace then you can imagine the working conditions that come along with the title. This place is a friend with mankind. In (doc E) the conditions here aren’t as quality as those of the Cotton Mill but, there are very rare accidents here and the smoke isn’t all that noticeable. People claim they are not bothered by the smoke at all. This is safer than most factories with some factories being even more heavily polluted than this. I can see how very little accidents can happen but how are they not bothered by the smoke? If I had to work in a factory with smoke I wouldn’t be able to bear it. This factory is clean but it is not my first choice.

There were also some negative views of working in an industrial revolution city. In the  (doc A) Machines and large chimneys with smoke were very popular. The pollution from smoke and smog was so bad that the rivers would turn purple. To have pollution be as bad as to having a whole river change color is unbelievable. The workers were basically living in smoke and dirty rivers. This is pretty unsanitary if you ask me. In all seriousness nobody wants to have to work in pollution, smoke and just generally a dirty job. What really drove me over the edge is the dirty river that’s crazy! In (doc C) was possibly the dirtiest most terrifying job i’ve ever seen. The air was choking the people were pretty much locked in dungeons and it was just harsh and unnatural. The workers were constantly groaning and the men had no dignity. It was hell on Earth for these factory workers. In (doc D) the sounds of the spinning wheels were torturing to the ear. The smells and the air was brutal. The children were hideous and helpless and they had distorted limbs.

In these cities industrialization had more of a negative impact on people working in these cities because they were living in smoke and pollution which was horrible for their health. The sounds of the wheels and the smell of gas was terrible and they didn’t have any choice because once you were out of a job at that time it was nearly impossible to get another one. It will advance our technology for the future but as of now are hygiene and general health.


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