II.

The Industrial Revolution

The number of hours of labor became an important social issue only after the Industrial Revolution, which began about 1760 in Britain and in the latter part of the 19th century in the United States. The Industrial Revolution created a large class of people who were dependent for their existence on paid employment and were subject to exploitation by the owners of industry. In 1800, both in Britain and the U.S., a 14-hour working day in industry was commonplace for men, women, and even children, and longer hours prevailed in some industries, particularly textile mills. In Britain a number of parliamentary enactments, called Factory Acts and sponsored by humanitarians and reformers, shortened the hours of labor for children and women. During the 1840s the political reformers known as Chartists led British workers in a series of militant struggles for a 10-hour day. Thereafter in Britain the pressure of workers organized in trade unions was the principal factor in effecting a reduction of the workday and the workweek.

In the U.S. workers began to agitate for shorter hours of labor in the 1820s. At the time of the American Civil War, however, the average number of hours worked in a week was 72 in agriculture and 64 in industry and commerce. During the industrialization of the country following the Civil War, pressure by workers for a shorter working day increased. By 1890 the 10-hour day and the 60-hour week were common in industry, while the average number of working hours per week in agriculture was about 70. Agitation for shorter hours continued unabated, and at the end of the 19th century the judiciary began to support legislation limiting the workweek and workday. The courts declared that the health of workers was a matter affecting the public welfare and that laws intended to preserve it were a legitimate exercise of governmental powers. This attitude made possible the later enactment of important laws establishing normal standards and legal limits for the workday and workweek.