Essay On Child Labor During The Industrial Revolution

Throughout history children have participated in various forms of labor such as slavery and indentured servitude, but it was not until the Industrial Revolution that their work became increasingly severe to the point where those surrounding them became weary and deemed it necessary for restrictions to be placed on the policies of child labor. The benefits that children received from their labor were minimal considering the harsh and unsafe conditions they endured. Child labor during the Industrial Revolution was so harsh that it became a necessity for the formation of labor unions and committees, including the National Child Labor Committee in 1904. During the Industrial Revolution the economy transformed from a rural and agricultural economy to an industrial or factory-based economy. Enormous bands of families flocked from suburban areas to cities in hopes of finding work in factories. Within those families who traveled to the cities were children who sought work in order to help support their

New practices of doing business were developed including corporations, monopolies, pools, trusts, holding companies, and conglomerates.19 The economic policy of Laissez- Faire or economics in which there is no interference from the government was largely responsible for the drastic development of the economy throughout the Industrial Revolution.20 Although there was a great increase in the economy during the Industrial Revolution, it was not easily attainable. The laborers which included children primarily from lower classes, had to endure horrendous circumstances in order to bring the economy to the extensive level that it attained at the time. A description of the ways in which capitalism led to a deterioration of living for the working class is illustrated in this text from the book Norton