Child Labor during the progressive era During this
Child Labor during the progressive era
During this time, children were treated unfairly when it came to working. In 1890, more than one million children of the ages 1015 were working in America.
That’s not the worst of it. Childrens ages 5 to 6 were working as many as 18 to 20 hours a day.
Many of these children ended up physically hurt due to the work conditions. Aside from being absolutely exhausted, the children would be working in cramped spaces inhaling heavy dust down in the mines, or those working in the glass making factories would be exposed to heavy heat, and fumes.
After all of this, it was time for reform. Progressive era reformers did not believe in these awful working conditions that children were being put into, and decided it was time for change.
In 1919, an act was passed to make sure that children at the ages under 14, not be allowed to work more than 8 hours, 6 days a week.
The court declared this unconstitutional, even though it had a great effect due to the fact that in 1910, the number of working children ages 10 to 15 was reduced by about 50%
In 1929, every state banned children under the age of 14 to work. Along with that, 36 states made it so children under the age of 16 couldn’t work anymore than 8 hours a day, and could not work nights.
In 1941, the supreme court declared it illegal for children to work during school hours, and children under the age of 18 could not work in a workplace that would be hazardous to their health.
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