Lecture Series - Rich Sandberg
From Farm to Factory: How Industrialization Transformed Work, Family, and Childhood
This lecture examines the period from 1700 to 1900, when England and the Americas underwent the transformative changes of the Industrial Revolution. Rich will outline the key economic, agricultural, and technological developments that fueled industrial growth. The talk will also explore the widespread use of child labor in factories, mills, and mines, focusing on working conditions, long hours, and the dangers children faced. It will conclude with a discussion of the laws and reforms enacted to address these harsh conditions.
Richard grew up in Rhode Island. In college he studied Engineering and spent his working life as a Mechanical Engineer.
He worked in various industries including Avionics, Nuclear, Electronics and Aviation.
Richard has always had a love for old machinery. As a young man he worked with his brother in a family-owned machine shop, All the machines were from the early 1900s, machines that few others wanted. From this he developed an interest in the Industrial Revolution and the people that fueled that revolution.
Upon retirement in 2017 he volunteered here at the museum where he works as a docent. A large portion of the visitors to the museum are 4th and 5th graders. To try and keep them interested he studied the role children played in the Mines, Factories and Mills.
