2. Agriculture
Children have
always worked as
farmers
alongside their
parents and
families.

3. Industry in
America
As America grew
in factories and
industry, childre
n became an
important part
of the labor
force.

4. Reasons for
Child Labor
•Children were
less expensive
then adults
•Average work day
was eleven to
twelve hours a
day, sometimes as
many as 18 hours,
six days a week.
•Average pay was
one dollar a week.

5. Textile
Industry
Children as young
as 7 worked in
textiles
By 1800, 2 million
school aged
children worked 50
– 70 hour weeks.
By 1828, 50% of
Manayunk’s
workers were
under age 15

10. Chimney Sweeps
Some as young as 3 years
old
Sometimes bosses would
under feed the children to
keep them small.
Many were African
American

14. Breaker
Boys
Worked for 10
hours a day, 6
days a week in
coal mines
Made around 60
cents a day

18. Newsies
Many orphan
boys worked as
Newsies, making
pennies on each
“pape” they sold.
They were often
homeless and
relied on each
other for safety
and family.

22. Conditions
Many children
sustained
injuries from
their work
They would be
beaten and
verbally abused
by older workers

23. Conditions
Many injuries included
being caught in the
machinery and losing
limbs or their life.

24. Forms of
punishment
Weighted: the
overseer would tie
a heavy weight to
a worker's neck,
and have them
walk up and down
the factory aisles
so the other
children could see
them and "take
example."
This could last up
to an hour.

25. Forms of
punishment
Boys were
sometimes
dragged naked
from their beds
and sent to the
factories only
holding their
clothes, to be put
on there, to make
sure the boys
would not be late,
even by a few
minutes.