I was intrigued by Bessy in North and South, and her representation of the detrimental effects of the industrial revolution on the working class. This photo is one of a flax mill, similar to a cotton mill where Bessy would have worked in. As we can see it is extremely crowded both with workers and equipment, which leads to the infamous heath complications within factories. The main illness contracted in cotton anf flax mills was byssinosis, the blockage of the lungs caused by the cotton and flax particles within the air of these poorly ventilated and crowded spaces.

     Bessy is a prime example of the stresses and unfair conditions put upon child labor in the Industrial Revolution of Britain, even though she was more of a young woman. The need to exchange her suffering for the well-being of her family, and eventually lose her life, was a widespread issue affecting countless British families. Even after the factory act was put into place in 1833 in an attempt to ease the suffering of these children, conditions were far from ideal and would continue to be so until children were able to not be held accountable for their family's finance.

Contributed by Grace Rogers