Kids Working In The Factories Dbq Essay

Children were often expected to operate machinery that was very large and not designed for amateur use, especially by children so young (Out of The Depths 67). In the kitchens there were large machines like dough mixers and milk/cream separators (Out of The Depths 68), and in the laundry room there were dangerous washing machines. Knockwood incorporates the stories of many children who witnessed horrific working accidents, many of which resulting in permanent deformity of the hands and fingers, and longer lasting emotional scars. One of the most shocking elements in Out of The Depths “Work and Play” section comes from Knockwood’s own experience, in recalling the story of Teresa Ginnish’s hand being caught in the mangle of the laundry machine (70). Knockwood recalls how the emergency stop lever broke off, and all of the girls were too small to reach the off-switch, which powered the machine.

Before the days of labor laws and unions, there was a time in which laws were not able to keep up with a rapidly changing industrial economy. As machinery and technology advanced, so did the possible amount of revenue being generated. Unfortunately, this machinery made it so unexperienced workers, such as children and teenagers, could work hours on end creating products. With little legislation in place, these vulnerable workers were exploited in factories and mills. Many individuals, such as Florence Kelley, called for change by creating speeches that would be presented in large conventions and rallies.

Many of the working kids had lasting health issues because of working in the factories. “C: Do you know of anybody that has been similarly injured

She expressed her long hours, sleeping conditions, and injuries to explain the depth of how child labor laws were unfair. “Between 1908 - 1912 Lewis Hine worked as the photographer for the National Child Labor Committee (NCLCS’s). During this time he documented child labor in American industry in an effort to support the NCLC’s efforts to end the practice. ”(Document 8). In this document, he expresses both the negatives and

In the 1800’s, a girl named Elizabeth Bentley testified before a parliamentary committee investigating conditions among child laborers in Britain’s textile industry. One of the questions stated: “What time did you begin work at the factory?” Elizabeth responded with this: “When I was six years old” (Document 7). This affected her education in years to come. Her health and well-being was affected as well, in which, by the end of her work, she lived in a poorhouse.

In the mid 1800s industry was advancing and children of all ages were working in dangerous factories. People attempted to strike against these rules, while some decided not to. In the book ¨Lyddie¨ by Katherine Paterson, the main character Lyddie has a job in a factory with very poor conditions and long hours. Since this was only the 1800s, child labor laws were not yet established and Lyddie was recently introduced to her idea of rebelling against the rules for more rights.

This can lead to severe illness, like lung problems, and it can even result in death. According to Lewis Hine’s report, “… two breaker boys of 15 years… fell or were carried by the coal down into the car below. One was badly burned and the other was smothered to death” (Doc B). This reveals the dangers and harsh realities of child labor. It shows how children were badly injured and sometimes even killed.

Children are very fragile for a certain time, and many during the revolution became deformed or worse. For example “C: you are considerably deformed in person as a consequence of this labor? B: Yes I am.” (Document 7). This shows that some children weren’t properly cared for in their job.

After people noticed the treacherous working conditions for kids in the U.S. in the late 1800s and early 1900s, many individuals took action to address this dreadful problem. During this time, the working conditions were dreadful. For example, Syble Filter had his finger cut off at the age of 17 when a machine started unexpectedly (Doc. 3). Another example of these terrible conditions is when very young children (boys especially) got caught in the machine or fell into a moving machine (Doc.2).

They also employed them because they were small and could go under and fix the machines easily. As children were expected to work at a young age in the Industrial Revolution time, they employed loads of children so than they didn’t have to do as much work and they could get more done at once. The jobs they done caused injuries frequently such as crushed fingers, broken arms, and even legs been pulled off. The factory owners did not force the workers to work they had a choice, either be homeless, or get underpaid and mistreated. The children had to fix broken machines and fix the broken threads, when they were still going.

The workers were often subjected to sweltering heat in the summer and frigid conditions in the winter. But, that was not it, at the time there were no laws in place that required businesses to ensure their employees' safety, and this regularly lead to many injuries and fatalities in the workplace on a daily basis. There was not a single work place that did not have injured or mutilated employees, and this was due to the unsafe working conditions of the factories, “Let a man so much as scrape his finger pushing a truck in the pickle-rooms, and he might have a sore that would put him out of the world; all the joints in his fingers might be eaten by the acid, one by one… There were men who worked in the cooking rooms… in these rooms the germs of tuberculosis might live for two years, but the supply was renewed every hour.” (109).

Many children began working before the age of 7, tending machines in spinning mills or hauling heavy loads. The factories were often damp, dark, and dirty. Some children worked underground,

Child labor was a great concern in the Industrial revolution but very few people did something to stop it. Women and Children were forced to work more than 10 hours a day with only forty minutes to have lunch. Elizabeth Bentley once said that they didn’t have any time to have breakfast or drink anything during the day. They worked standing up and if they didn’t do their work on time they were strapped (whipped). Children were treating like they were not important, like they didn’t deserve a better life.

On the contrary, the boy, who is not named is the only one responsible for his death. We the readers must understand that in rural areas, it was not uncommon to have young children doing labor to help the family out. The boy was old enough to be “doing a man’s work” (Frost), thus he should be able to do his work properly and efficiently. The boy must have been accustomed to the workings of this piece of machinery enough to be utilizing it on his own. Therefore, knowing all the risks that accompany the

But not all work done by children should be accepted as child labor. In other words, if a work doesn’t harm child’s health or personal development (educational issues), it is generally accepted as something positive and useful. Such activities develop children’s skills, provide experience and formulate them to be part of society. The term “Child Labor” is when children do work that damages their health or hamper mental or physical