This History and Backround of Child Labor

During the industrial revolution, there were no laws against child labor and how old one must be to work. During this time, one in every three American factory workers was between the ages of seven and twelve. These kids worked hard ten to twelve hour days, in very dirty and dangerous conditions causing many kids to get sick and die at young ages. Even with these troubling facts, many people still thought working was good for young kids as it kept them out of trouble and helped them build character. Not until 1916 did congress do anything to try and stop such young kids from working, by putting a thirty day suspension on goods that were manufactured by children, making the manufacturers wait thirty days to transport their goods. In 1924, the child labor amendment was made by Congress and in the next few years 28 states ratified it. This amendment said, "The Congress shall have power to limit, regulate, and prohibit the labor of persons under 18 years of age." This was the first amendment that was against child labor and that tried to make a stand against child labor. This amendment changed child labor forever and helped child labor come to an end.

"child labor." American History. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 29 Jan. 2010. http://www.americanhistory.abc-clio.com/.