Conde Library: Modern History: The Historical Investigation 2025: Children

Websites

The birth of childhood: A brief history of the European child
Article from Big Think: Big Ideas in 10 Minutes. Scroll down for sections on the Industrial Revolution and beyond.
Child Labour in the British Industrial Revolution
An article on how children were used for labour during the Industrial Revolution in Britain. From World History Encyclopedia.
Children at Work
Children in the workforce in the 19th and 20th centuries, from an Australian lens. Compiled by the team at the Old Treasury Building, Melbourne.
The Victorian Child
An overview of childhood in Victorian times. From Murah Gubar from the University of Pittsburgh.
The Invention of 'childhood'
The Edwardian era and the invention of 'childhood'. From the National Trust for Scotland.
Children of the Great Depression
An article considering the impact of the Great Depression on children in the US. From City University, New York.
Growing Up in the Second World War
WWII was a period of major upheaval for children in Britain. From the Imperial War Museum, London.

In Our Time: Childhood
Melvyn Bragg examines how perceptions of childhood have changed during the 20th century and discusses whether a clear distinction can always be made between childhood and adulthood.
A Short History of Childhood
In this episode, we'll explore how ideas of childhood have changed, from John Locke to Jean-Jacques Rousseau, from the English Romantic poets right through to the creation of the teenager in post-war America.
Workhouse Children in the Industrial Revolution
A History Detective Podcast
German Child Evacuees of WWII
BBC Witness History
French child evacuees of WWII
Produced by BBC Witness History