Child Labor In The 1800s

The dawn of the twentieth century in America was a time of extreme change and progression. Urban areas began to rapidly increase in size as well as population and this lead to increased poverty levels. Advancement in these areas required an abundance of workers to run the expanding factories. Children were often preferred because they were seen as obedient, manageable, and less likely to strike. Because of this, child labor was very present issue and the conditions were often described as inhumane. A census taken in 1900 showed that 1.75 million children were working. Had the census included children that worked in mills, on the streets, and in factories the number would have exceeded two million(Encyclopedia.com). These children who often worked twelve to forteen hour shifts(Zinn, par 23) faced many negative consequences of their work. How The Other Half Lives, is a publication of photojournalism by Jacob Riis that raised awareness to the living conditions of the lower class citizens in cities. The book did this by capturing the unsafe and unsanitary conditions in which the children were working in. A review by The Christian Intelligencer stated that "Books like this that lift the curtains and expose to public gaze the great evils of the system will hasten the day of reform." His moving and innovative work “inspired many reforms of working class
This was a time of protest; some joined unions while others went on strike. They did this not only for child rights, but basic human rights as well. Progressive attempted to solve these injustices by forming unions and organizing marches. Because of this, progressives were successful and many restrictive child labor laws were passed. These laws, such as the 1986 law of prohibiting the employment of children younger than 14, was a part of the progressive reform