Child Labor
Child labor was a major issue in the 1800's. Children slaved away for 12-18 hours a day, six days a week, and often worked in extremely poor conditions. Often times, they worked underground. Some factories even put up barbed wire fences to keep the children in. For poor families, employing their children in factories was another source of income. Some families were struggling just to get by, and they were forced to give up their children to factories because they could no longer afford to care for them. The children had little or no schooling, and very little time for rest. They spent all their time working in the harsh conditions, and were often overworked, resulting in many of the children becoming ill.
Child labor was a major issue in the 1800's. Children slaved away for 12-18 hours a day, six days a week, and often worked in extremely poor conditions. Often times, they worked underground. Some factories even put up barbed wire fences to keep the children in. For poor families, employing their children in factories was another source of income. Some families were struggling just to get by, and they were forced to give up their children to factories because they could no longer afford to care for them. The children had little or no schooling, and very little time for rest. They spent all their time working in the harsh conditions, and were often overworked, resulting in many of the children becoming ill.