Child Labor The industrial revolution was a big point in history. As machines began to complete tasks formerly done by adults they involved children in working the heavy machines. Children are so young and so fragile that it is even sickening to think they’d be working in factories with big machines. A child only knows so much about the world and learns more as he or she grows. The industrial revolution was a time when very important inventions were benefiting society in a positive way.
As the rate of industrialization in America grew during the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth centuries, child labor became more and more common. The rapid growth of the economy and the vast amounts of poor immigrants during the Industrial Age in America justified the work of children as young as the age of three. By 1900, over two million children were employed. However, the risks of involving child labor greatly outweighed the positives; child labor was inhumane, cruel, and caused physical deformities among children. Children typically worked in coal mines, mills, and factories which contained many life-threatening hazards.
The industrial revolution was an impactful era for humanity’s advancement, all over the world. People becamse eager to find faster and easier ways of doing everyday tasks, and began inventing in the 1760’s. England was the first to begin the textile revolution, which was the mass production of cloth in mills and factories. The role of women in the textile industry was significant because of their agility and smaller hands. Soon after England’s revolution, Japan followed along, about a century later in the late 1800’s; through their emperor:
Baseball is one of the most defining qualities about our country, it is the embodiment of who we are. Gerald Early, an American culture critic, once said, “There are only three things that America will be remembered for 2000 years from now when they study this civilization: The Constitution, Jazz music, and Baseball. These are the 3 most beautiful things this culture's ever created.” This quote is not just an accurate prediction, but could be said to be true know. All three: the constitution, jazz, and baseball are talked about now by historians.
The conclusion of the eighteenth century and the dawn of the nineteenth was a time of great growth of industry in America. There were many positives of this growth, and many negatives. One positive were that everybody has more luxuries; another positive was that a lot of money came into the US. There were many severe negatives of the new growth of industry. Two of these were horrible factory conditions, and child labor.
Children were put in situation where they had to choose between school and work. Most times the choice was work because they had to support their family. Child laborer took advantage of this. They hired children from about ages four to fourteen to work in factories or on the farm. The children worked long hours with minimal breaks.
While some might argue that Industrialization had primarily positive consequences for society because there were many new job opportunities , it was actually a negative thing for society. Industrialization’s negative effects were little or no education, over competition for jobs and child labor laws weren’t enforced. First of all I would like to start off by pointing out that “In the Picture of “an Urban Tenement” you can see that there are kids around the house which is kind of implying that there not in school learning but instead you see them at home with women who which we can imply are their mothers”(document 6).
Although many historians believe that there was a negative impact of industrialization and technological changes on American society; however, the positive impact of the two factors overpowers the negative impact on American society economically and socially between the time period of 1900 to 1930. Economically, there were positive impacts on American society due to the industrialization and technological changes that the nation was undergoing. In Theodore Roosevelt’s “The New Nationalism” 1910, he points out that no man in American society can be a good citizen because of the wage he makes that isn't ample enough to cover the bare cost of living, and the hours of labor are too long which doesn't give him energy and time to bear his share
Throughout the development of the colonies in America, slave trade grew to be a significant source of labor in primarily southern plantations within the late seventeenth to eighteenth centuries. During the era, with slaves being condemned to be considered socially inferior by law, and the increase in demand of goods such as rice and indigo, the slave labor force became a notable source for southern plantations in the eighteenth century. Slaves and people of color had always been considered to be socially inferior even before the colonies existed. With a sense of paternalism in Great Britain, people have always believed that those considered slaves,or servants rather, were second class citizens, and these people needed to be suppressed for their own best interests.
One of the most harrowing experiences of the Victorian Age was Child Labor. In my essay, I shall be discussing some of the trying tasks these young children had to endure during the nineteenth century. I will also be talking about some of the children’s detailed accounts of what it was like working in the factories, the mills, and the streets of London to survive the dismal period of child labor. I am also going to include secondary sources that I gathered to focus the attention on child labor as well. My essay will also depict why child labor is fully viewed as an atrocious act.
Late 19th century, the United States became the leading industrial nation in the world which transformed the national economy of the nation during the period called Gilded Age. The most influential development of this era were the new inventions of the inventors, who invented new ideas and new products which led to a rise of big business. The inventors mostly controlled the nationwide industries, factories and had much control over the government and people who owned small business. Because of these new inventions the American life was changed and there was a drastic growth in the urban areas, there were significant changes in the transportation, agriculture, communication, and there was a demand in the labor union because of the newly built factories and industries. The life of this era was seemed to be constantly in motion as big businesses were rising and the life of every American got busier and busier because of the newly invented products.
Looking at the pace of development and rapid industrialization of the United States in the late Nineteenth century, we can figure out and sort many major and minor contributing factors aiding the industrialization process. Keeping all the factors and conditions into consideration, first thing is the mechanization of Labor force. The division of labor eventually facilitated production by reducing the producing cost. The labor force that built America during the late nineteenth century was comprised of primarily the immigrants. The contribution of many inventors and scientist, including gasoline powered automobiles, advanced coal engines, the telephone and the typewriter and many more advanced railways that helped to connect the entire US played a significant function in manufacturing, producing and whole industrialization process.
Between 1865 and 1900, Industrialization changed the way America continued about advancing. It brought about industries such as the railroads, steel and oil that generated jobs and opportunities, as well as economic wealth. Although these times were great for some - mainly the millionaires gaining fortune from their businesses and poor immigrants who found better lives in America than there were in their home countries - others, like the farmers and industrial workers, found a hard time making a living in the new, fast paced America. Farmers and industrial workers responded to the cruelness of industrialization by politically, financially, and socially.