I was the Founding Father of the United States

Chapter 51 Child Labor and Dowry

"...Sir! Please have a kind heart! God bless you!"

"Ma'am! I haven't had bread for two days!"

"Sir! Would you like me to show you the way?"

As soon as Chen Wenbin and the others disembarked, on their way to the long-distance carriage company, a dozen or so ragged teenagers surrounded them.

Seeing this, Anthony and Chris quickly joined the other six guards to protect Chen Wenbin and Diana in the middle.

"You little bastards! Get out of my way! Go beg for food elsewhere!" Anthony brandished his saber sheath, trying to drive them away, but Chen Wenbin stopped him.

"...Give them some money!"

"Yes, sir!"

Anthony agreed, but his gaze fell on Chris, who reluctantly pulled a handful of pennies from his pocket and tossed them far away.

"Get out of here!"

The children cheered immediately, forgetting to express their gratitude, and rushed to pick up the money. Two children even started fighting over it.

Taking advantage of this moment, everyone quickly left.

Chen Wenbin had hardly ever seen beggars in North America; even orphans usually received help from churches or relatives. So he was quite curious about these young British beggars and asked Henry Courtes about it. To his surprise, the latter replied with disgust:

"These little brats are all lazybones who don't want to work! Robin, you shouldn't have given them money. Bristol doesn't have as many factories as London, but it still hires child laborers. They just don't want to earn their own living, so they wander around!"

child labor?

Chen Wenbin was a little confused, then realized, "Yes! It seems the British used child labor all the way into the 20th century!"

He glanced back at the group of jubilant children, frowned, and said, "Some of them look only six or seven years old. What can they do? How much money can they earn in a day's work?"

"A six-year-old can already unclog chimneys!"

Henry Coates stated matter-of-factly, "Child laborers cleaning London chimneys earn three pence a day! That's enough to buy two pounds of bread! They can also earn two or three pence a day working in the dyeing factory and the coal mine!"

Chen Wenbin thought to himself, "This guy really is worthy of being a member of the East India Company, or rather... is this how people are in this era?"

He glanced at the expressions of the Adams brothers and Henry Hopkins beside him, and deliberately asked:

"But...shouldn't children this age be receiving an education? Even if they work, how much value can they create?"

Henry Coates looked at him strangely, then said calmly:

"Everyone must create value to live! As for education... that's not something the poor need to worry about! What they need to do is work hard, support themselves, and not become a burden on society!"

Chen Wenbin did not answer him, but instead asked the Adams brothers and Henry Hopkins, "Henry, Samuel, and John, do you think using child labor is right?"

Henry Hopkins shrugged. "We don't have any other options, do we?"

Robin, Britain and North America are different. There are too many poor people in Britain. They will starve if they don't work. Children become child laborers, at least to fill their stomachs.

"Sir, I do not believe that using child labor is ethical!"

Seeing Chen Wenbin looking at him, John Adams stated directly, "Just as you argued in 'On the Popularization of Science and Education,' only when more children receive an education can we have more inventors and scientists, and only then will humanity progress further..."

"But that's assuming the poor's children survive to grow up and become successful!" Samuel Adams interrupted. "Child labor is a social problem, not an educational one. When survival is at stake, education must come second!"

John Adams immediately retorted, "Britain spent hundreds of millions of pounds on the war; can't they allocate some of that money to education?"

Samuel Adams coldly stated, "War can expand colonies, cripple enemy overseas trade, and yield substantial profits, but investing in education rarely yields immediate results... The aristocratic and wealthy members of parliament wouldn't do such a thing!"

"That's because they are extremely stupid and short-sighted!"

"...Gentlemen!"

At this moment, Diana, who had remained silent until now, interrupted the argument, pointed to the carriage yard ahead, and said with a smile, "Let's get in the carriage first! I'm just too tired!"

Chen Wenbin nodded and said, "That's right! Let's talk about it in the carriage!"

It was not yet eight o'clock in the morning, so there were still long-distance carriages heading to London in the carriage company. Chen Wenbin waved his hand and directly asked Chris to charter four luxurious four-person carriages with heating stoves and two cargo four-wheeled carriages.

Mr. Chen, Henry Hopkins, Henry Courts, and Samuel Adams rode in one car.

Diana, Betty, and Maria, the three women, rode in one car.

John Adams, Reverend Davis, Chris, and Anthony rode in one carriage, while the remaining six guards rode in the last carriage, taking turns watching the cargo boxes on the two wagons.

At that time, the security in the English countryside was actually quite good, so there was no need to worry too much about encountering robbers. Even if you did run into robbers, there were twenty Robin rifles in the boxes on the two freight wagons, which would be more than enough to deal with some petty thieves.

Just after eight o'clock, with the sound of the coachman's whip, a caravan of six carriages left Bristol and headed 32 miles east to Swindon.

About three hours later, they would arrive in Swindon, where all the carriages would change horses, and Henry Hopkins and Chris would part ways with the others there, heading north through Oxfordshire to Northampton.

Although the toll roads in Britain are dirt roads, they are quite fast because of the ruts and the help of four horses pulling them.

However, since the carriage at this time did not have spring suspension, even a small stone would make the people inside the carriage bounce. So Chen Wenbin still regretted not unloading the spring carriage that he had given to George III from the ship for his own use... He was fine with it, but Diana would definitely be uncomfortable.

As he gazed out the window at the wintery English countryside, feeling a pang of sympathy for his wife, Henry Hopkins hesitated for a moment before speaking up:

"...Robin, you are now a well-known doctor and scientist in England! And you will certainly become a new Fellow of the Royal Society in March, so the Baron and the Spencer family will not object to your marriage to Diana."

I think you can absolutely ask them for a larger dowry during the engagement negotiations!

Have them provide you and Diana with at least three thousand pounds to purchase a medium-sized manor house in the suburbs of London!

Henry Courts, who considered himself a friend of Chen Wenbin, immediately added when he broke the silence: "Yes! Robin! You'd be missing out if you didn't ask for more dowry!"

Your medicine cured Prince Frederick! He's His Majesty the King's second son. Once you arrive in London, you might very well be knighted by the King!

Although a knight is a commoner, it is still a prestigious title, and you are fully entitled to make demands!