Children At Play:
Children's Items 1860-1900
The concept of childhood began to change during the 19th century and by the end of the Victorian era the sphere of 'childhood' was viewed by the middle class as quite separate from that of the adult world. Earlier generations of children had been exposed to the hardships and responsibilities of adult life but a new shift in attitude created an expectation that a child's life should be one of innocence and dependence.
This shift in attitude was due in part to industrialization and urbanization. Children who had once labored on the land in small communities were increasingly employed in factories as their working class parents sought the economic opportunities of the cities. Working and living conditions for the working classes grew increasingly harsh and the social reform acts of the later 19th century attempted to improve the lives of the working poor. Philanthropists and social reformers, motivated by their Christian values and middle class ideals played a significant role in bringing about change.
Reformers viewed the living conditions of many working class children as unacceptable. Children, they believed, should be protected from physical harm, moral corruption and the responsibilities of adult life and "every child should have a childhood".
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