Working Conditions in Factories
The working conditions that factory workers and plantation slaves undergo, no doubt, are harsh. They seem like very different occupations, but in some ways they are the same. They both have inhumane working conditions and long workdays. Is it possible that one is worse than the other? The answer is yes. The factory system was worse to work under. Working conditions in a factory was dangerous, especially if it was a cotton factory.
For work to be done in a cotton factory, the workplace had to be hot. Machinery was not always fenced off, so the workers were exposed to moving parts.If someone was not careful enough, they could end up getting seriously injured or even die. It was common for the workers to work twelve hour workdays. Working a long day in the conditions of a factory was physically exhausting, which made working in a factory even more dangerous. Anyone who worked in a factory did not really get to spend any time with family. They would work all day, and when they got home they ate dinner and went to bed.
If dinner was not ready yet, they would sleep as dinner was being prepared. They had to get as much sleep as possible before they had to start another long day at work.Sometimes children were bonded to a master in a factory, which means that the child lives and works at the factory and their parents get paid. In the United States today, child labor is illegal. Back during the Industrial Revolution, that was normal. Children would work in the textile mills. Not only were they forced to work in a mill, they were treated very poorly.
The children dare not be late for work in the morning, or they would suffer beatings by their masters. They were forced out of bed to go to the mill at five in the morning, and worked until ten at night.When they children got tired and tried to fall asleep on the job, the overseer would take that child by the legs and dip their head in water. They were sent back to their work dripping wet without being able to dry off. They did not get much to eat either. They only had a half an hour for dinner and lunch. Plantation slavery and working in a factory are horrible systems to work under.
They both have different benefits and downfalls. When it comes down to it, working in a factory is worse. The plantation slaves had many opportunities when they were released. Plantation slaves also were not always treated poorly, either.
