Child Labor The Ugly Side of the Industrialization of America in the 19 th Century

America Was on the Move in the Late 19 th Century….  Wealthy people had money to invest  Government supported big business  There was relative peace in the world  Talented people were developing new products and technology  Immigration brought in more workers  People needed jobs and would do almost anything to work

Things Turned Ugly for Workers  Because there was such an abundance of workers there was little they could do to improve their circumstances.  Workers knew that if they didn’t do the jobs someone else would.  With immigrant boats arriving every day there was always someone who would work for a lower wage.  People did what they had to do to survive.

Sometimes families were fortunate enough to be able to work together in their homes in relative comfort and safety.

Here an entire family works at making men’s suspenders.

This family is shelling pecans, although not in very sanitary conditions. No one notices the little boy eating from the box.

Unfortunately, not all jobs were in the home. These young boys work long hours in a factory making cigars for pennies a day.

These boys work long hours in the hot Florida sun shucking oysters to be eaten by the wealthy in fancy restaurants.

These small girls spend all day in the fields picking berries.

Imagine the heat and the noise in this Indiana factory.

This small boy works barefoot in a textile mill among dangerous, noisy machines that spew dust and lint.

Perhaps the most terrifying and dangerous job was working as a breaker boy in dusty mines separating coal from other rocks. Notice the rod in the hand of the overseer, a boy himself.

Young boys and girls worked as newsies. They had to buy the papers and then sell them to make a few cents on each paper. If the papers didn’t sell, they took the loss. This was a very competitive operation.

Here a young boy is selling pretzels. He must manage the cart and his money all day. If he has to take a break, who will watch his cart? Who will protect him from thieves or people who would take advantage of him? Notice that this young boy is making a sale but doesn’t look at all happy. Furthermore, the number on the side of his cart is for the permit he had to pay for to be able to sell his pretzels.

These children are lucky in that they have a place to live in an orphanage or workhouse. Not all such children were this lucky. Many were sent on orphan trains to the western states to be adopted by families along the way. Some were happy, others lived miserably.

The Need for Reform  Some caring people realized that child labor was wrong and that children must be protected.  They worked to pass laws that limited the number of hours children worked and guaranteed better working conditions.  Gradually conditions improved for workers as they gained strength in numbers and through the efforts of the labor unions and reformers.  One of these reformers was Lewis Hine who took the pictures used in this lesson.

Think about what this political cartoon is trying to depict.. What effect do you think it had on the wealthy industrialists?

What is the message of this political cartoon? Consider how you would call attention to the problems of Child Labor if you had lived in those times. Research areas in the world where child labor still exists and discuss what your class can do about it.

Created by Carol Poole October 2004