Child Labor In The Late 1800s

History is from where the lessons can be learned in order to make a better future. The United States, just like any other country in the world, had many contemporary issues in the past which are present till today. In the past, reformers took different measures which helped them in dealing with these problems. Some of those measures can be adopted to eradicate the current contemporary issues of the United States. Child labor is one the major contemporary issues which have been in the U.S. since the early 1800s in the form of indentured servitude or slavery. According to National Broadcasting Company’s investigation in 2012, “Thousands of children, many too young to drive, are hard at work putting in long hours in brutal conditions to make sure
The owners of factories preferred child labor as it was cheaper and manageable. The earliest step against Child labor was taken in 1832 by New England association of all Workingmen. According to them, children should not be allowed to work from morning till midnight as it is a great danger to their mental development as well as social well being. During 1870s, strikes and battles began in the country due to poor working conditions. In 1837, first state labor law was made which prohibited working of children under age of 15 who didn’t go to school in last three months. At present, many children work in tobacco farms during summer which is causing deadly health risks. It is school’s responsibility to provide these students with jobs during summer. As the state labor law of 1837 prohibited working of children under age of 15, people of U.S, should demand for a law excluding the condition of non attendance of school for three months. The new law should prohibit child labor under age of 15 for all the children even if they haven’t gone to schools ever. The owners of tobacco farms should be given a strict punishment such as taking away part of their land rather than just taxing them 10 percent extra as was done during 1870s for employing children under age of 15. Samuel Gompers led the New York labor movement in 1883 to prohibit cigar making as it was employing many young children. Similarly, the production of tobacco should be reduced, if not prohibited, as it is leading to child labor as well as causing many health issues. It might affect our economy but these children are future of the U.S. If they will be unhealthy and uneducated due to child labor our economy is going to decline