Industrialization & Workers I. Growing Work Force II. Factory Work III. Child Labor

Growing Work Force  Immigrants  14 million immigrated between  Contract Labor Act of 1864  Americans on the move  8-9 million move to cities in late 1800s  Fled poor economic conditions on nation’s farms

Factory Work  Worked 12 hours/6 days a week  Piecework: workers paid by number of items they produce  Used in sweatshops  Increasing Efficiency  1881 Frederick Winslow Taylor studies workers – system of scientific management of workers  Employers had unscientific methods  Increased speed of machinery  Give each worker more to do

Factory Work  Division of Labor: production where different tasks are performed by different laborers  Changed relationship between worker & product  Changed relationship between worker & employer/owner  Work Environment  Ruled by the clock  Discipline was strict  Not always safe

Child Labor  1 in 5 children in work force by end of 1800s  Threatened growing children  Jacob Riis – Children of the Poor  Most children left school by age 12  Few private charities poor families could relay on  Social Darwinism