In The English Factory Legislation, Ernst von Plener surveys how 19th-century reforms reshaped work for children, women, and the industrial workforce.
This history tracks the rise of new rules, the push for inspection, and the broad social outcomes that followed.
The text contrasts English initiatives with trends in other nations, showing how factory laws spread from Lancashire and Yorkshire to other industries. It highlights debates among politicians, employers, and reformers about the balance between protection and economic freedom, and it points to real-world results in health, education, and social welfare.
- Learn how limits on hours and the minimum age for workers emerged and why they mattered.
- See how inspectors and legislation aimed to curb the worst abuses in factories and workshops.
- Discover how different trades, from textiles to metalwork and glass, faced unique challenges.
- Understand the argument for national and international influence in shaping labor standards.
Ideal for readers of social history, labor law, and the origins of workplace regulation, this edition provides a concise overview of a turning point in industrial civilization.