The sudden and enormous expansion of English industry in the
early part of the century brought special hardship to several
classes in the community. The substitution of the factory system
for cottage industry destroyed home life for thousands of
families, and the pressure of poverty and the greed of
manufacturers ground the poor mill operatives between the upper
and nether millstones. To Anthony Ashley Cooper, Earl of
Shaftesbury, more than to any other is due the persistent
investigation and disclosure which aroused the public mind to the
prevailing conditions in mine and factory where hours of labor
were excessive, and where women and children were subjected to
degrading tasks and brutal treatment. The Factory Law and kindred
legislation since 1830 are the fruits of the beneficent and
untiring labors of the Earl.