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Slave Labor In The 1800s

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Working in order to help out my family has proved to be very difficult. But I love them with all my heart and will sacrifice performing manual labor over attending school if it meant helping them survive. Other children and I have to endure the harshest conditions. Workdays are typically 10 to 14 hours with barely any breaks during the shift. Unfortunately, the factories that are hiring children end up dealing with injuries and even deaths because they are so dangerous. There are many adults that understand that the machinery runs so quickly, our little fingers, arms, and legs can easily get caught. Besides the equipment, the environment is filled with fumes and toxins. Some children have contracted illnesses, chronic conditions, or diseases …show more content…

We are only paid a fraction of what an adult gets, and some factory owners get away with not paying workers. Orphans were the ones subjected to the slave like labor. Factory owners justified their actions of not paying orphans by claiming they have the orphans food, shelter, and clothing, all of which were far below par. The children that were not old enough to work with machines, were normally sent to be assistants to textile workers. I have heard that the people who the children worked for, would verbally and physically abuse them without taking their safety into consideration. Additionally, one form of common punishment from being late or not working up to standards is being “weighted.” This is when a leader/overseer ties a heavy weight to a worker’s neck and has them walk up and down the factory so other children can see them and “take the example.” Weighting has serious consequences such as horrible injuries to the neck and/or back. Boys are sometimes dragged naked from their beds and sent to factories only holding their clothes, to be put on there. This ensured that they were not late, which in fact is very cruel, even if it is a few

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