Introduction The Victorian era is often depicted as being one of the greatest periods in British history where the combination of a burgeoning industrial base and multiple colonial holdings resulted in an unprecedented level of wealth and affluence within Great Britain. However, as seen through books like Oliver Twist and recent games like Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate, the Victorian Era was known to have a dark underbelly that resulted in numerous instances of what today is known as human rights violations with one of the most poignant examples being the abuses of children at the time. Life for the Masses during the Victorian Era While the upper class of society during this time period had estates in the countryside, opulent homes in London, and had pastimes like the London Season, the fact remains that this popular depiction of Victorian Era society was far from what the masses lived like at the time. While it is true that rapid industrialization and the creation of mass production resulted in many individuals receiving the opportunity to rise into new social classes, the fact remains that many of them had to settle for sub-par wages. This was due to a distinct lack of control by the government to apply the minimum wage standards that can be seen today. Many of the breadwinners at the time could barely make enough to feed themselves, let alone their families. This created the need for children to help support their parents and siblings by taking jobs at local factories where children as young as six years of age could find employment. However, the lack of government oversight combined with cheap labor and apathetic owners was a perfect recipe for disaster with an untold number of children during this era suffering and even at times dying due to negligence, if not outright abusive, labor practices. Children and Coal Mining Coal mining was a lucrative business during this period of time due to the sheer amount of coal reserves the UK had as well as the insatiable demand for coal from factories and the general population. Due to their small size and low wages, children were used extensively in coal mines for a wide variety of different jobs. Since they did not have the strength to actively mine coal, they were instead used to push carts, let air into the tunnels via wooden doors, and sorted coal into different bins. While these jobs may not seem to be overly difficult, what you need to understand is that the carts children pushed often weighed several hundred pounds, those responsible for letting in the air into the tunnels were forced to sit in the dark for hours alone with only the light of candles to keep them company and those sorting coal were expected to do so quickly or receive harsh punishments (Fletcher, 2014). In fact, it was perfectly normal at the time for children to work 18-hour shifts in the coal mine with relatively few periods of rest in between. Another issue that became apparent after a few years was the constant inhalation of coal dust and its connection to respiratory problems. Due to constant exposure to free-floating coal dust, children who worked in the mines often developed respiratory issues that resulted in their early deaths. This was due to a lack of general understanding at the time regarding the need for proper protection. The end result was thousands of children dying due to a wide array of respiratory issues with these incidences being considered as “normal”. Children in Factories As mentioned earlier, children were employed in numerous factories during