The Industrial Revolution: “Becoming That Person” Dear Journal,
I have only little time before I return to work, but I just wanted to address how I have entered this terrible and miserable life and the state at which my country is in. My name is Peter
Owen and I am a young factory worker during this socalled “Industrial Revolution.” I am currently 10 years old and preside in a factory in Britain, the site of a world change. I was abandoned by my parents at the age of 5 and was immediately taken into apprenticeship by my master. As a harshly treated worker, I do not support or condone the new use of young children in the factories. My work greatly benefits the upper classes, but not myself. I feel as if I am just a working pair of hands for the success of the factory owners and the British upper class. I do not know what my life would be like if such a drastic change had not taken place in my country, but
I know it has effected my life very negatively.
At the age of 5, I was abandoned by my parents and placed under the care of the local parish. I was apprenticed to a factory owner as soon as I was put under their care. I am forced by law to work for my master, for another 6 years. I may be fed at some times, but I am confined to my small factory dormitory. I never know how it is outside, due to the lack of windows. From the little time I spend in it, I use a very small and dim light. I spend most of my time working thirteen hours a day, for six days a week. I work for very little pay, or at times, no pay at all. I feel that my very demanding labor is for nothing, when I receive barely anything in return. I must man large machines called textiles and do not even have a pair of shoes. I can not make any
mistakes because I am harshly punished by the master. The owner of the factory greatly benefits from my labor. The amount of product they are able to produce has grown exponentially due to technological development and the low wages he has for myself and many other workers he has employed. Myself and other large groups of children do not have a choice of where they want to go. We were forced into this terrible life. I believe that this is the case across the country.
Factories have been able to produce more, due to new inventions and a better use of energy. I have seen new large contraptions being used throughout the factory. These harness the energy of steam and coal. This new arrival of innovations may be beneficial to society, but can not be implemented at this price. Myself and other hard working children and lower class workers work
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