The Industrious Child Worker: Child Labour and Childhood in Birmingham and the West Midlands, 1750 - 1900

Studies of child labour have examined the experiences of child workers in agriculture, mining, and textile mills, yet surprisingly little research has focused on child labour in manufacturing towns. This book investigates the extent and nature of child labour in Birmingham and the West Midlands, from the mid-eighteenth century to the end of the nineteenth century. It considers the economic contributions of child workers under the age of 14 and the impact of early work on their health and ed...