That’s how it goes sometimes. The Mines Act of 1842 in the UK didn’t get passed because a bunch of children (some as young as 8 years old) died in a horrific mining accident. It was passed because during the investigation of that accident it became known that the women working in the mine were wearing trousers, and due to the excessive heat in the mines, were working topless in the presence of men. Victorian England wasn’t scandalized by a pile of children’s corpses, but goddamn it, something had to be done about those bare tiddies.
That’s how it goes sometimes. The Mines Act of 1842 in the UK didn’t get passed because a bunch of children (some as young as 8 years old) died in a horrific mining accident. It was passed because during the investigation of that accident it became known that the women working in the mine were wearing trousers, and due to the excessive heat in the mines, were working topless in the presence of men. Victorian England wasn’t scandalized by a pile of children’s corpses, but goddamn it, something had to be done about those bare tiddies.
Wikipedia lists as a result of the act “No child under 10 years old was to be employed underground.”
Hooray…?
I just can’t understand what goes inside those people’s minds no matter how hard I try and that’s really frustrating.