Factory Life DBQ
Document A
1. Why is Dr. Ward being interviewed by the House of Lords
Committee?
- He was interviewed because of the textile workers. They
were concerned with their health and if everything was
being handled correctly.
2. What does he mean when he refers to factories as
"nurseries of disease and vice"?
- The place where the factory was placed was not up to
health codes. This meant that the people working there
could have sicknesses or diseases that would be very hard
to heal from.
3. What evidence does Dr. Ward use to back his claim that
factories were unhealthy and unsafe for children?
- He used his personal experience to show and explain that
the factories weren't safe. The reason why he said they
weren't safe was because when he himself went he
couldn't go 10 minutes without coughing. It was not only
him that couldn't stop coughing but also his colleagues
that went with him.
Document B
1. How is the source information for this document similar to
and different from document A?
- They were similar because they shared similar experiences
when it came to the factories and the conditions of them.
There were differences because of the actual experience
themselves but they shared the similarity of it being bad.
2. What evidence does Dr. Holme use to back his claim about
the health of children in factories? Do you think this is
convincing evidence?
- He uses the evidence that there were more people that
were perfectly fine and had no health issues. Personally, I
don't think that that really matters I think it's important to
look at the people who are injured and who are affected
by the facilities. At the end of the day people being perfect
in fine shouldn't be a good thing that a bare minimum
when working at a dangerous facility.
3. Why might it matter that Mr. Pooley asked Dr. Holme to
examine the children at his factory?
- It is because people are not going to want to work there
anymore if people are going to have health issues.
4. Which document A or B do you think is more trustworthy?
Why?
- Document A is better because Dr. Ward is can actual
surgeon and has handled a lot of cases with the issues the
factories are dealing with. He is more experienced and
prepared to handle a case like this.
Document C
1. What type of document is this? When was it written?
- It is an autobiography, and it was written in 1849.
2. How old was Birley when this account was published?
- He was 44 years old.
3. Which document, A or B, does this account closely match?
How?
- It is closer to document B because it explains and shows
how the people at the factories were treated and how
their health was dealt with.
4. Why did John Birley not tell the truth about life working in
the mill to the inspectors?
- He did not tell the truth because he did not want to get
beat up again.
Document D
1. Who wrote this article? When was it written?
- Edward Baines is the person who wrote it and ti was
written in 1835.
2. Why did Baines write this article?
- He wrote it to show people that everything that was being
said about him was not all true.
3. What does he mean in the second paragraph when he
states "but abuse is the exception not the rule".
- He is saying that the type of job that he has just comes
with that type of territory. He is explaining that it is more
for exposure of everything that he is doing.
4. What is Baines main point in the final paragraph?
- He is explaining that the people that are working there
including kids don't look like they or being obligated to
work there or forced in anyway.
5. Which document, A or B, does this account more closely
match? How?
- Document B is better because they share similarities of
concern in what is happening in the factories and the
people. But there is not enough concern to fight for these
factories to be shut down.
6. Who do you think is a more trustworthy source, Briley, or
Baines? Why?
- Personally I think Briley is better because they advocated
for the people in the factories a lot more than anyone else
did. Briley wanted them to have rights and have a good
working environment.
Paragraph
I personally do think that these English textile factories were
horrible for people’s health. Back in those times health codes
were not as strict and conditions for working environments
were not as great which in turn did affect many people’s health.
It not only affected working class health but also the children of
those people because they were also forced to work period at
that time child labour was not a thing and there was not
enough evidence to show the negative effects of it. But at the
end of that era, it did show that those children did have a lot
more health issues and had a lot more complications in life
because of those working environments. Not only did they have
diseases and different illnesses, but they also suffered from
grave injuries like losing fingers or losing legs because of the
heavy equipment. So yes, these factories definitely negatively
affected the health of working class families.
