Causes Of Child Labour During The Industrial Revolution

Throughout history, children have always worked, either as apprentices or servants. However, child labor reached a whole new scale during the time period of the Industrial Revolution. Throughout the time frame of late 1800s-early 1900s, children worked long hours in dangerous factory conditions for very little wages. They were considered useful as laborers because their small stature allowed them to be cramped into smaller spaces, and they could be paid less for their services. Many worked to help support their families, and by doing so, they forwent their education. Numerous nineteenth century reformers and labor groups sought to restrict child labor and to improve working conditions.

Throughout the 1700’s and the early 1800’s child labor was a major issue in American society. Children have always worked for family businesses whether it was an agricultural farming situation or working out of a family business in some type of workplace. This was usually seen in families of middle or lower class because extra help was needed to support the family. Child labor dramatically changed when America went through the Industrial Revolution. When America’s industrial revolution came into play, it opened a new world to child labor. Children were now needed to work in factories, mills, and mines. These were not ordinary jobs for young children, these jobs required much time, effort, and hard work. “American

Today we have child labor laws, which prohibit the use of children as workers. During the industrial revolution, there was no such thing. You can see in Lewis W. Hine’s photo that a child is dangerously balancing on a milk crate so he can reach the machine. (Lewis W. Hine) Children worked extremely dangerous jobs for very little pay. This boy in the photo could easily fall from where he is balancing and could cut himself open on the machine.

child could not earn much, but even a few pence would be enough to buy

Child labor was a cruel and unfair way of using children in unnecessary situations. It was debated for a countless number of years whether child labor was a social problem or a political problem. Children were responsible for completing very dangerous, rigorous, and demanding jobs. Most jobs for the children were completed in factories, farms, and coal mines. Subsequently, the working conditions for the children were not healthy, and it led to life threatening situations. Many would get seriously injured or killed. Some worked until exhaustion and fell asleep on the job, and would experience harsh consequences. Generally speaking, child labor drastically changed the way owners ran their businesses during the Industrial Revolution. The ruthless ways of child labor were never changed for the better until different Acts and Laws were put into place. People were concerned with the social and physical wellbeing of working children in Britain during the Industrial Revolution.

During the 18 and beginning of the 19th century in certain regions of the U.S child labor made up more than 40 percent of the population (Wolensky). That’s almost half of the working population. Since the beginning of time children have always been known to help their families with domestic tasks. Most of these kids worked in factories because they were easy to control and paid less than adults. Kids earned less than half of what adults made in the work force. In these factories they usually cleaned under and inside machines while functioning because of their small size.. That’s how these kids felt as it was described in a article in our history book. They were always in danger of getting hurt or even dying, which many did. Kids as young

Throughout the American Industrial Revolution, child labor in industries such as textiles, agriculture, mining, manufacturing, laboring, street work, and domestic work was endemic in the United States. Several factors, including mechanization, urbanization, industrialization, poverty, labor shortages, and lack of regulation were the primary causes for this increase in child labor. Children, as young as three years old, worked from sunrise to sunset in factories, mines, fields, and mills where conditions were excruciating. The arduous work resulted in myriad deleterious effects, namely, afflictive injuries, pitiful deaths, and bleak futures. In order to curtail the abusive conditions, numerous people championed the rights of child laborers and ultimately achieved their concordant goal of gaining federal regulation of minimum employment ages, permissible types of jobs, and duration of work hours for youths.

Children all around worked in factories, mines, or in the fields picking cotton. These jobs would provide them with an income to give to their families. Children were paid only a fraction of what adults were paid. Most of the time children that weren’t getting paid were orphan’s. “The factory owners justified their absence of payroll by saying that they gave the orphans food, shelter and clothing, all of which were far below par (Child labor in factories).”The items that they could of made could sell for about 60 dollars and still only get paid about ten

During the 19th century child labor was still an ongoing; huge impact in America, mostly because factories needed tiny hands to do the job. They had no option but to work nor resting, they were not able to attend going to school. Handling machines was all they knew how to do, their childhood was taken away from them at a very young age. Several of the machines need no adult strength only tiny hands so they could fit between motors and gears. The lower working class families had to rely on their kids for more income, but what they made was never enough. Child Labor first started in the early 1800’s, while all hand work was now being replaced by machines in huge factories making steel, glass, and chemicals. In fact, kids were breathing in chemicals

Children have been exploited as servants and apprentices throughout most of history. But child labor hit new extremes during the Industrial Revolution. They worked long hours in dangerous factories for very little money. Child labor was useful because of childrens sizes they were able to move through small places in factories or mines that adults could not fit in. Children often worked to support their families. In the 19th century reformers sought to restrict child labor. During the Great Depression, Americans wanted jobs to go to adults instead of children. In colonial times child labor was not subject to controversy it was part of the agricultural economy. Children worked on their family farms but were also hired on other farms.

Child Labor During the Industrial Revolution After the Civil War, the spark of the Industrial Revolution occurred. Many new ideas and inventions came out of the Industrial Revolution. Although most things were good that came out of the revolution, child labor was the one thing that reached a new extreme. Children had always been servants throughout most of history already. Children were now used in factories or mines because they were tiny enough to allow them to fit in the places that adults couldn’t.

Child labor during the industrial revolution was difficult for the kids. Children had to work hard in factories and mines. They didn’t get to go to school they had to work instead. They didn’t have the life of normal kids.

With many limbs lost and fingers penetrated off, children throughout the Industrial Revolution proved themselves strong in order to survive the conflict and compromise ahead. For example, some children were abused while they worked and others died in order to earn income for their families (Industrial). There was conflict within many regions of child labor. Such as the societal disagreements of what the children’s working conditions were and how they could still be improved. There was compromise with the laws and safety of all the children working at such a young age and in dangerous working conditions.

During the Industrial Revolution employers thought that it was an excellent idea to show children how it feels to work and what labor is, and mimic adults, and earn money to survive. However, Child labor in the mines was extremely dangerous and deadly. Children deserve an education and not have their lives at risk by working.

Although children had been servants and apprentices throughout most of human history, child labor reached new extremes during the Industrial Revolution.There was a big impact on the daily life of a child labourer as poor children often worked full time jobs with minimal pay in order to help support their families. Young children worked long hours in factories under dangerous conditions. children were easier to manage and control than adults because their size was perfect as it allowed them to move in small spaces in factories or mines.The practice of child labor continued throughout much of the Industrial Revolution until laws were eventually passed that made child labor illegal.