# Factory Act limits child labour (1833)

URL: https://english-history.com/timeline/1833-factory-act-limits-child-labour
Categories: main-event

Legislation restricted children's working hours in textile mills and created inspectors. Within the broader Georgian Britain period, parliamentary government, industrialization, imperial expansion, war with France and political reform turned Britain into a global commercial and military power. This event is placed at 1833 in the chronology so it can be read alongside the political, military, social and cultural changes around it. The law was an early step toward systematic state regulation of industrial working conditions.

## Why it matters
The law was an early step toward systematic state regulation of industrial working conditions.

Ruler at the time: [William IV](https://english-history.com/rulers/william-iv)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia topic lookup — Factory Act limits child labour](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=Factory+Act+limits+child+labour&go=Go)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Factory Act limits child labour](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Factory+Act+limits+child+labour)
- [Wikipedia — Timeline of British history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_British_history_%281800%E2%80%931899%29)
- [The National Archives — empire and industry resources](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/)