During the 1700’s, England’s villages grew into towns and cities. Factory profits had boosted the economy, and more food was available, both of which helped the population with increased health care. The Revolution first took advantage of Britain's largest industry, textiles. In the 1600's, cotton cloth imported from India had become popular and so British merchants organized a cotton industry for themselves. They d

Large apprentice houses were built to accommodate the large numbers of factory workers because it was cheaper to build one large house for many children than it was to build many smaller residences for families. Containing mostly children, they resembled prisons more than houses inside and out. Approximately 100 children “lived” inside stone buildings surrounded by walls, gates and with locks everywhere. Most of the children were bought from orphanages and work houses, very few worked in these large factories on their own free will (those who worked to increase family income were, in essence, still required to work whether they lived in a tenement house or at home).# Sleeping, sometimes 2 or 3 to a bed, was one of the only things done in these “houses.” Most meals were eaten in the factory while working and usually consisted of oatcakes and milk. Three meals were all that were allowed during the day, which started at 5 am and continued until 9 or 10 pm.# The environment a child worked in during this time period was very dangerous. The factories were "dirty; low-roofed; ill-ventilated; ill-drained; no conveniences for washing or dressing” which led to increased incidence of tuberculosis, bronchitis, asthma and “mill fever,” the initial reaction to the factory’s pollution. Along with dust and cotton fibers, grease, oil, gas and lime were perpetually being both ingested and inhaled by the children. Diseases of all types spread quickly in the 70-80 degree F, poorly ventilated and unsanitary buildings.# When sick, children lost all wages and were quickly replaced. There were no “sick days” back then and the factories took no responsibility to provide health care.# Loss of hearing and sight were not a main concern of factory owners either. Working around loud machines by candle light for 12 hours a day, 6 days a week reeked havoc on still developing eyes and ears.

eveloped a pulling out system in which raw cotton was brought to peasant families who spun it into cloth, and then skilled artisans finished and dyed the cloth. Under the putting out system, production was very slow and as the demand for cloth grew, inventors came up with ways to make the cotton industry more efficient. In 1764, James Hargreaves invented a spinning jenny that spun many threads at a time. A few years later, Richard Arkwright invented the water frame, which used waterpower than spun cloth even faster; the new machines put a

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