on in general manufacturing in Britain for many decades, and when it did it was imported from America, becoming known as the American system of manufacturing, even though it originated in England. Societal effects Much manufacturing in the 18th century was carried out in homes under the domestic or putting-out system, especially the weaving of cloth and spinning of thread and yarn, often with just a single loom or spinning wheel. As these devices were mechanized, machine made goods were able to underprice the cottagers, leaving them unable to earn enough to make their effort worthwhile. Other products such as nails had long been produced in factory workshops, increasingly diversified using the division of labour to increase the efficiency of the system. Factory workers typically lived within walking distance to work until the introduction of bicycles and electric street railways in the 1890s. Thus the factory system was partly responsible for the rise of urban living, as large numbers of workers migrated into the towns in search of employment in the factories. Many mills had to provide dormitories for workers, especially for girls and women. The transition to industrialisation was not without difficulty. For example, a group of English workers known as Luddites formed to protest against industrialisation and sometimes sabotaged factories. They continued an already established tradition of workers opposing labour saving machinery. Numerous inventors in the textile industry such as John Kay and Samuel Crompton, suffered harassment when developing their machines or devices. In other industries the transition to factory production was not so divisive. Until the late nineteenth century it was common to work 12 hours a day, six days a week in most factories; however long hours were also common outside factories. Debate arose concerning the morality of the system, as workers complained about unfair working conditions prior to the passage of labour laws. One of the problems was women's labour; in many cases women were paid not much more than a quarter of what men made. Child labour was also a major part of the system. However, in the early nineteenth century, education was not compulsory and in many families having children work was necessary due to low incomes (Samuel Slater employed children but was required to provide basic education). Children commonly did farm labour and produced goods for the household. Besides working in factories children worked in mines. Automation in the late 19th century