Victorian Era By utigjvc 1764 James Hargreaves invents the Spinning Jenny 1769 James Watt patents his improved steam engine design, enabling mechanization 1785 Edmund Cartwright invents the power loom for weaving 1793 Eli Whitney invents the cotton gin 1802 Health and Morals of Apprentices Act, first law limiting child labor 1819 Cotton Mills and Factories Acts, set minimum age of 9 and maximum workday of 12 hours 1832 Great Reform Act extended voting rights to the middle class 1833 Factory Act prohibited employment of children under 9 1833 Slavery Abolition Act ended slavery in British colonies 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act (New Poor Law) established workhouses with intentionally harsh conditions to deter relief claims 1844 Factory Act made women and children work no more than 12 hours per day 1846 Repeal of the Corn Laws, which had imposed tariffs on grain imports 1847 Ten Hour Act limited workday to 10 hours for women and children 1870 Elementary Education Act provided compulsory, free basic schooling 1875 Factories Act consolidated labor laws, prohibited child labor under 10 1906 Education Act , Provision of meals 1909 Poor Law institutions like workhouses abolished, modern social assistance system introduced 1928 Granted women same voting rights as men