For the lower or poorer classes, life, especially in the city, was crowded and difficult. Victorians often had large families (since there was no birth control) and living conditions were often crowded and unsanitary. Education was a luxury and most children had to earn their keep as soon as they could. With no child labor laws, children as young as six often worked long hours at dangerous jobs such as chimney sweeping, factory or mill work. These children had no education and worked for very little money on very little food, but some families were forced to do this in order to survive. Author's like Charles Dickens exposed many of the realities of street life and child labor and helped to bring about reforms. Charlotte Bronte's account of her school life at Lowood, also made the public aware of the misuses of power and the sub-standard conditions in which many poor children were educated.
Victorian Culture
A guide to fashion, etiquette, art, music, dance, and societal expectations of the Victorian era