Child Labor In The 1800s

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Child Labor Child labor has been around for a very long time in American history, it includes indentured servants and child slavery, and most of the workers were on farms or in private workshops. The first attempt at reforming child labor happened in 1832 in New England; it involved the unions condemning the misuse of child labor stating that “ Children should not be allowed to labor in factories from morning till night, without anytime for healthy recreation and learning culture,” for it” endangers their… well-being and health” . In 1836, the Women’s Trade Union league of New York made the first formal proposal that a minimum age law is necessary to establish a minimum age for factory workers. Over the next sixty years various organizations…show more content…
In California, the use of migrant workers and their children is a common practice for big companies. In 2012, NBC news went to a location were child had been working there since they were 8 years old and up, some of the kids go to night school after they work 10 hour shifts. North Carolina has children picking vegetables and tobacco on many of its farms, all being sold to big companies refusing to comment about the use of children. The farm owners pay lower wages to the adults, causing the children to be part of the work force involved. I personally think that is the plan that farmers use to get more workers, especially when they are migrant workers or illegals whatever you prefer. The only real purpose for child labor is to increase the profit margin for both farmer and the produce companies that purchase the products. A few groups are currently attempting to change the 1938 law to a more restrictive law in regards to child labor restrictions and it is well deserved at least I feel that…show more content…
I as 15 year boy had worked on a summer job for low income children and found it to be an interesting experience in my life. I found that if I would show on time and worked the time allotted for work I made good money and honest money. I also learned that I would rather not be in the manual labor work force in the future if I could help it. This is a good program and it should be used more than just the summer months, it would provide a service and a fair wage to the child during the school year. To best describe my views on the child labor laws is; I feel the need to hold employers accountable in many ways one of which would be to raise the fines to such a level that violating the FLSA would destroy their profit margins. Society should be holding violators accountable criminally; a jail sentence could also prove to be a teacher for violators. Simply put the nation still needs to revise child labor laws. Just don’t ban child labor completely though.
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