Throughout American History, different forms of child labor, such as slavery and indentured servitude, have existed. It was not until the early twentieth century, during the Industrial Revolution, that the number of children in the work force reached an all time high (Herring). As cities were growing and factories were being built around every corner, children were commonly preferred over adults for work because they were able to fit in small spaces that adults could not and they could be paid less than adults (Trattner). This topic became controversial during the Industrial Revolution time period for many reasons, such as harsh working conditions as well as time being taken away from children’s education.
By the mid-1800’s child labor became