1870: The Cost Of Child Labor

Dear (insert name) 1870
As you know, it is no secret that child labour has been going on in countries around the world but the stage we have reached with it here is preposterous. As a mother with a child working in one of these disgusting factories, there are many issues to be raised of the treatment of this country’s children.
The main issues arise in regards to the fact that these jobs that children as young as three have to work, have unnecessarily long hours and pose great risk for these children and all for little pay. This combined with the unfortunate fact that in most families the only way for them to survive is to have every member of the family that is able to work, working is simply unfair.
These young children are enduring some
Long hours leave no time to attend proper schooling and it is impossible to think that parents have time or the knowledge to education their children privately at home. Education is the key to the advancement of the nation, it is each mother’s and father’s wish to see their children prosper and achieve more than they could, by making children forgo an education this removes this hope. Education is the key to the advancement of the nation. So answer me this, why should my child have to give up a good future just to provide for my family at the age of 8?
There are also reports of brutality occurring within factories. In an interview with a women who wishes to remain anonymous, she describes what is was like working in a cotton factory.
“Sarah Golding was poorly and so she stopped her machine. James Birch, the overlooker, knocked her to the floor. She got up as well as she could. He knocked her down again. Then she was carried to her house…….she was found dead in her bed. There was another girl called Mary……she knocked her food can to the floor. The master, Mr. Newton, kicked her and caused her to wear away till she died. There was another, Caroline Thompson, who was beaten till she went out of her mind. The overlookers used to cut off the hair of any girl caught talking to a
It is terrifying as a parent to think of what is going on inside those closed doors and what damage and mental scaring goes on that I and many other parents are simply unaware of.
Another problem exists in the way of the existing child labour law. In order to limit the hours children can work which in turn limits injures and stress, several states such as Massachusetts have passed laws to limit children’s work days to 10 hours. Not only is this not good enough; as before this law the working day was 10-14 hours as sated above, it is rarely enforced and there are many loopholes. What is the point of having even a basic law that cannot be followed? If we are to reform the production and agricultural sectors to treat children fairly the laws need to be enforced.
It is quite upsetting that families move to cities for a fresh start and a better life, just to be met with disappointment and confusion with what is the reality of life here. This does nothing to benefit our growing cities and gives what are prestigious, works of art a horrible