What happened in England around the time that A Christmas Carol was published?

Britain was going through industrial unrest. Many were seeking laws to protect the vulnerable from those who sought to make money off the poor. In this case especially was the acts seeking to reduce the use of child labour as it was a very cheap alternative to using an adult. It is with this in mind that Dickens write a Christmas Carol as he was very outspoken on the use of children in industry and in the mines.