children going 12-hour night shift in united states (1908).
early 20th century witnessed many home-based enterprises involving child labour. example shown above new york in 1912.
children working in home-based assembly operations in united states (1923).
two girls protesting child labour (by calling child slavery) in 1909 new york city labor day parade.
with onset of industrial revolution in britain in late 18th century, there rapid increase in industrial exploitation of labour, including child labour. industrial cities such birmingham, manchester , liverpool rapidly grew small villages large cities , improving child mortality rates. these cities drew in population rapidly growing due increased agricultural output. process replicated in other industrialising counties.
the victorian era in particular became notorious conditions under children employed. children young 4 employed in production factories , mines working long hours in dangerous, fatal, working conditions. in coal mines, children crawl through tunnels narrow , low adults. children worked errand boys, crossing sweepers, shoe blacks, or selling matches, flowers , other cheap goods. children undertook work apprentices respectable trades, such building or domestic servants (there on 120,000 domestic servants in london in mid-18th century). working hours long: builders worked 64 hours week in summer , 52 in winter, while domestic servants worked 80-hour weeks.
child labour played important role in industrial revolution outset, brought economic hardship. children of poor expected contribute family income. in 19th-century great britain, one-third of poor families without breadwinner, result of death or abandonment, obliging many children work young age. in england , scotland in 1788, two-thirds of workers in 143 water-powered cotton mills described children. high number of children worked prostitutes. author charles dickens worked @ age of 12 in blacking factory, family in debtor s prison.
child wages low; little 10–20% of adult male s wage. karl marx outspoken opponent of child labour, saying british industries, live sucking blood, , children’s blood too, , u.s. capital financed capitalized blood of children .
throughout second half of 19th century, child labour began decline in industrialised societies due regulation , economic factors because of growth of trade unions . regulation of child labour began earliest days of industrial revolution. first act regulate child labour in britain passed in 1803. 1802 , 1819 factory acts passed regulate working hours of workhouse children in factories , cotton mills 12 hours per day. these acts largely ineffective , after radical agitation, example short time committees in 1831, royal commission recommended in 1833 children aged 11–18 should work maximum of 12 hours per day, children aged 9–11 maximum of 8 hours, , children under age of 9 no longer permitted work. act applied textile industry, , further agitation led act in 1847 limiting both adults , children 10-hour working days. lord shaftesbury outspoken advocate of regulating child labour.
as technology improved , proliferated, there greater need educated employees. saw increase in schooling, eventual introduction of compulsory schooling. improved technology , automation made child labour redundant.
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