Invader Zim
22nd May 2003, 20:04
Robert Owen was born in Newton, in Mid-Wales, son of a of the local saddler and ironmonger. He was an exceptionally bight child, having read many of the popular classics, such as Robinson Crusoe, before he was 10 years old.
He went off to join the cotton industry as a young man and became exceptionally rich. He got the position of factory manager (later partner in the owning company) in a factory in New Lanark and made huge profits. He did this by giving his workers the best conditions he could, his workers stronger worked harder to please him and because of there added strength were more efficient. They were the highest paid and had the lowest number of hours than any other workers i the industry.
Owen was the first to set up nursery school's for his workers and provided them with the best education facilities he could offer.
He created the first ever, Co-operative movement, which was basically where all people worked to better the lives of there fellow workers, knowing that the other workers would be doing the same for them.
In attempting to spread his communities he went to the USA and set up another community. This one was very successful, however it's massive popularity was to be its downfall. People from all over the states flocked to the community. However the community could not cope under such sudden increase in numbers and collapsed.
Owens spent most of his massive fortune on the communities and his workers, and for the rest of his life was an outcast from society as a hated socialist.
He gave up every thing to help the working class.
"He organised infants schools. He secured the reduction of the hours of labour for women and children in factories. He was a liberal supporter of the earliest efforts to obtain national education. He laboured to promote international arbitration. He was one of the foremost Britons who taught men to aspire to a higher social state by reconciling the interests of capital and labour. He spent his life and a large fortune in seeking to improve his fellowmen by giving them education, self-reliance, and moral worth. His life was sanctified by human affection and lofty effort".
The epitaph on the Owen Memorial in Kensal Green Cemetery
This can never do true justice to the man, one of the greatest socialist's of all time, and friend of the working class.
To read more visit: -
http://www.che-lives.net/users/ak47/biography.html
He went off to join the cotton industry as a young man and became exceptionally rich. He got the position of factory manager (later partner in the owning company) in a factory in New Lanark and made huge profits. He did this by giving his workers the best conditions he could, his workers stronger worked harder to please him and because of there added strength were more efficient. They were the highest paid and had the lowest number of hours than any other workers i the industry.
Owen was the first to set up nursery school's for his workers and provided them with the best education facilities he could offer.
He created the first ever, Co-operative movement, which was basically where all people worked to better the lives of there fellow workers, knowing that the other workers would be doing the same for them.
In attempting to spread his communities he went to the USA and set up another community. This one was very successful, however it's massive popularity was to be its downfall. People from all over the states flocked to the community. However the community could not cope under such sudden increase in numbers and collapsed.
Owens spent most of his massive fortune on the communities and his workers, and for the rest of his life was an outcast from society as a hated socialist.
He gave up every thing to help the working class.
"He organised infants schools. He secured the reduction of the hours of labour for women and children in factories. He was a liberal supporter of the earliest efforts to obtain national education. He laboured to promote international arbitration. He was one of the foremost Britons who taught men to aspire to a higher social state by reconciling the interests of capital and labour. He spent his life and a large fortune in seeking to improve his fellowmen by giving them education, self-reliance, and moral worth. His life was sanctified by human affection and lofty effort".
The epitaph on the Owen Memorial in Kensal Green Cemetery
This can never do true justice to the man, one of the greatest socialist's of all time, and friend of the working class.
To read more visit: -
http://www.che-lives.net/users/ak47/biography.html