Child Labor
United States:
In America, child labor increased dramatically at the beginning of the industrial revolution in the 1800s. Businessmen needed more workers in factories, and poor families needed money, so children started going to work. However, the jobs were low pay, long work hours, and dangerous working conditions. Common child labor jobs included harvesting crops, working in mills, separating and packaging food, being a newsie, mining coal,being a salesmen, etc. Companies hired children because they were small and could fit into places adults couldn’t, and because they thought that they could pay children considerably less than they would have to pay an adult. Click HERE for a printable cross word puzzle!
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Germany:
Germany had minor cases of child labor during the Industrial Revolution. Adolf Hitler actually helped to end child labor. Furthermore, in February of 1992, the Convention on the Rights of the Child in Germany was passed. That meant that children under the age of 15 could not have a job, however, small jobs (household chores, babysitting, etc.) were allowed. Key Points
Child labor started in large numbers with the beginning of the industrial revolution in the 1800s |
Comparison:
In America, child labor was very popular in the 1800s. Children worked at dangerous jobs for long hours and got little pay in return. Child labor is less popular today, but it still exists. In Germany, child labor was in existence but it decreased over time and it is no longer going on today. Child labor in Germany was never as bad as it was in the United States of America. |