To what extent did the Industrial Revolution change the roles of women and children in English society before 1830?

During the Industrial Revolution in both England and the United States, children, who formerly worked on their families' farms or helped their families with cottage industries such as clothing manufacturing, started working outside the home in large numbers. Many worked in mills or factories, as owners could pay them less than they paid adults. In addition, children had small hands and bodies that could dexterously maneuver between small spaces and that could carry out delicate...

During the Industrial Revolution in both England and the United States, children, who formerly worked on their families' farms or helped their families with cottage industries such as clothing manufacturing, started working outside the home in large numbers. Many worked in mills or factories, as owners could pay them less than they paid adults. In addition, children had small hands and bodies that could dexterously maneuver between small spaces and that could carry out delicate tasks made for small hands such as weaving. In 1833, the British government passed the Factory Act, which regulated the number of hours children could work and which did not allow children under 9 to work.

In the United States and England, women started to move away from their families' farms in rural areas and work in mills in urban areas. The Industrial Revolution occurred a bit later in the United States than in England, but in both countries, women had increasing independence as they moved away from their families and into urban labor forces. At first, factory owners in the United States (especially in New England) attempted to regulate what women did outside of their jobs and to impose a kind of paternalistic system. However, over time, this system did not operate, and women were increasingly left on their own. As a result, women had increasing independence, and many joined reform movements. Many also refused to return to their parents' ways of life on farms. Women also had increased purchasing power over time, and they became important consumers.