Child Labor
By: Christian Fussell
children working in factories
They had no choice. The ONLY way to make money in hopes to eat, or get some medicin for there sick parents, brothers or sisters. To make life better, but they soon learned working in a fctory wasnt better. it was worse.
Hours, Food and Working conditions
Hours
- Working hours were long, Sometimes 12-19 hour days. And if you were lucky you would get one 1 hour break a day.
- Horrible conditions, large and heavy dangerous equipment was very common for children to be using or working with and near.
- Here fodd was a priviage NOT a right. They got 1 meals a day usualy cold unhealthy food they found in the trash
Jobs children did in factories
Fixing machine parts
-The kids would be sent to fix the parts of the huge, dangerous machines that are 10x there size.
Picking up loose cotton
-Some children spent all day bent over looking at the ground picking up the loose cotton off the ground.
Replacing the thread
-Many of the young kids spent all day restringing all the thread in the machines.
Accidents that often Happened
- Martha was 9, her job was to fix the machines if the jammed or broke. She reached down to fix a part when her hand got caught in the working part of the machine. All of he fingers were severed and she was fired because she couldn't work efficiently.
- Nicholas was 7, he died at age 16. He started working in the factories when he was 4, he died of lung cancer because of constantly inhaling chemicals.
- James was 10, he was "hunched baked" by the time he was 13. He had major skeletal problems by the time he was an adult
Punisments children faced
- If the children didn't work fast enough or took unauthorized breaks they would get "taught a lesson".
- If any child heard whistling it would cost 1 shilling out of the child's pay.
- If a child is found late to work it would cost 3 shillings of his/her pay.
Efforts made to stop child labor
At the end of WW1 there were laws made to regulate child labor
- Children the age of 9-13 could work in the factories, and could only work 8 hours.
- Children the age of 14-18 could work in the factories, and could only work 12 hours.
- And children under the age of 9 weren't allowed to work period.
- They were to attend school and get an education.