Task

By the 1820s and 1830s in England, particularly, many members of society, including reformers and politicians, were beginning to examine the conditions that existed in the factories and mines, and they started considering ways to improve conditions for workers. In fact, a special committee known as the Sadler Commission was formed in the English House of Parliament to gather information from those most directly affected by industrialization, the workers. Go to The Life of the Industrial Worker in Ninteenth-Century England to read the stories from those who worked in the factories and mines.

Read the testimonies for each of the following (the first three people after Joshua Drake):

  • Mr. Matthew Crabtree
  • Elizabeth Bentley
  • Peter Smart

Now that you've read the testimonies of three workers to the Sadler Commission, select one of the three and write a well-formed paragraph explaining your views about what happened to them. In other words, how were they treated on the job? Why do you think what happened to them was wrong? Post your answer to the 6.02 Working Conditions Discussion, and then respond to two of your classmate's post in order to receive full credit for this assignment.

Choose one:

  • Mr. Matthew Crabtree
  • Elizabeth Bentley
  • Peter Smart

 

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