The idea of children working was not new: they always worked on farms or with their parents as they grew up. But with the industrial revolution of the early 19th century, factory owners found that children with their small size and nimble hands could perform many tasks better than adults. Although this was accepted at first, through the 1800s a reaction slowly built against child labor. By 1899, 28 states had set a minimum age limit of 12 for manufacturing work, and around 1900, a concerted reform campaign had begun to ban all child labor under the age of 16. Reformers argued that making children work during their most important formative years would cause deep harm, and that White children in particular were vulnerable. Child labor could lead to “race deterioration,” as this pamphlet argues on its back cover. The National Child Labor Committee was one of the most effective reform organizations, utilizing poignant photographs on their informational materials.
Nine and Ten Years Old- They can earn 40c. in a ten-hour day, but they cannot read. National Child Labor Committee, ca. 1900. Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, American Centuries. https://americancenturies.org/collection/l01-060/. Accessed on October 16, 2024.
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