Bringing in the Inspector : the Framing and Enforcement of the Early Factory legislation in Britain, 1825-1900

The question of child labour in textile factories was a recurrent issue in British politics during the early decades of the 19th century. In fact, during the turbulent politics of the early 1830s the issue of 'infant slavery' in the textile mills was an issue which threatened to make or break governments. This fact leads to a row of questions that need to be asked. How can we explain that child labour in factories could emerge as a major political question? Why was this kind of child labour perceived, and formulated, as a major problem? Which were the social forces behind the child labour agitation? In what way was the issue resolved politically? How was the actual legislation on industrial child labour constructed