Child Labor During The Industrial Revolution

The emergence of the feminist movement, the widespread use of child labor during the Industrial Revolution, and the cultural impact of the Transatlantic slave trade in the America’s reveal insight into the economic, political, social, and cultural forces which have helped shape history. The 19th century was a time of profound political and social change which set the stage for the emergence of the feminist movement; a movement driven by intersecting forces such as urbanization, industrialization, and evolving ideas. Concurrently, the Industrial Revolution, while a positively transformative era of economic growth and innovation, brought many social challenges, one of the most significant was the use of child labor; a cruel reality for many children

Child labor has almost always been widely practiced, but it reached its peak during the Industrial Revolution when factories and mines were in need of employees. Children were the ideal candidates since they were inexpensive, which would maximize profits. Poverty-stricken families relied on their children as well as other members to earn income in order to make ends meet. Unfortunately, the children were forced to work in miserable conditions which involved unsafe work conditions, uncleanliness, and brutally long hours. The long hours contributed to the children being unable to attend school, which only made the cycle of poverty worse and more difficult to break. Technological advancements in industrial machinery made it so that even a child could operate it, this made child labor look even more appealing to those in charge of industrial factories. According to a History.com article titled “Child Labor: Laws & Definition”, 18% of all American workers in the year 1900 were under the age of 16; prior and during this time there was hardly any legislation or regulation to protect