Child Labor in America before Labor Laws

Since the beginning of American history, children as laborers have been an acceptable part of the American workforce. In the early years, these child laborers often worked on farms or in their homes, but as the industrial revolution began, so did their lives. More and more workers were drawn from small towns to the city center with the lure of a stable industrial job. This rapid population growth in the city grew more as the rise of immigrant families boomed in the mid-1800s as Europeans came to search for a better life in America. What they found, however, were crowded and expensive cities with no sanitation or safety measures. This meant everyone in the household would have to work to help the family survive, including women and children. Children were especially sought after for their small stature and because they could be paid less without the threat of unionizing. Children worked in factories and mines in dangerous conditions to make money to support their families. They often worked long hours and would be fired if injured, as the rapid population growth meant a seemingly unlimited workforce. However, this came with the rise of people fighting for social change, child labor included.