Factory Acts
Topic: The Age of Industrialisation · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The Factory Acts were a series of British laws passed from 1802 onwards. They controlled working hours and conditions in factories, especially for children and women. They were passed because of shocking reports about long hours and harsh treatment in the textile mills. They mark the first steps of the state in regulating industrial labour.
Example
The Factory Act of 1833 banned children under nine from working in textile mills. It limited the working hours of older children and appointed factory inspectors to enforce the law.
Don't confuse with
- Indian Factories Acts: these were later laws for factories in India, starting in 1881. They were passed under colonial rule, partly because Lancashire mill owners pushed for them.