In the early twentieth century, a young American scholar left his teaching job. He wanted to take pictures. However, they were not just any pictures. Lewis Hine sneaked into factories and other workplaces where he photographed working children. He often ended up being thrown out or chased away by policemen.

But Hine did not quit. He wanted to show the cruel system that put kids in horrible working conditions. He joined a group of reformers in the National Child Labor Committee. It was a group trying to improve the lives of working children. Hine began a new way to use photography to share the truth. Hine’s striking photos played an important role in bringing public attention to child labor.

Production and distribution, a reboot

Work changed a lot during Industrial Revolution. The “long nineteenth century” (1750-1914) saw a rise of industrialization and wage labor. Under industrial capitalism, the systems of production changed and expanded. That shift meant fewer family-run farms and shops. More and more, they were replaced by large factories and wage labor. People took factory jobs for low pay.

Many parents took those low-wage jobs. Normally, children would have helped out at home, but now they went to work, too. They were paid about one-tenth what adults earned. They could handle simple tasks and were usually obedient workers, so they were in demand. Their work was usually repetitive, unhealthy, and sometimes dangerous.

The need for reform

This system of cheap labor and large-scale production grew rapidly in many industries. It made products available at a much lower cost. It also generated a great deal of wealth. The people who got wealthy, though, were factory owners who paid laborers a tiny amount. Still, for many working people it was the only way to make a living.  

By the early 1900s, workers were growing more and more angry. They were joined by reformers such as Lewis Hine. This movement was most notable in the United States and Western Europe. There, important reforms created standards for labor. They eventually led to work-free weekends, eight-hour work days, and a minimum wage. In most other parts of the world, industrial capitalism raged on. Children provided much of its workforce.

The moral objection to child labor

Child labor raised moral questions. Hine’s photographs powerfully captured the lives and suffering of working children. At the time, ideas about childhood and children were shifting. Education and play were viewed as more and more important for child development. But even parents who agreed with these views did not always have a choice. Their families relied on income from their children for survival. The poorest children were often forced to work.

Here is an interview from 1832. It is between a government official and a young English man named Matthew Crabtree. In the interview, Crabtree describes his experiences as a child laborer:

What age are you? — 22

…

Have you ever been employed in a factory? — Yes

At what age did you first go to work in one? — 8

How long did you continue in that occupation? — Four years

Will you state the hours of labor at the period when you first went to the factory, in ordinary times? — From 6 in the morning to 8 at night

Fourteen hours? — Yes

With what intervals for refreshment and rest? — An hour at noon

Were you always in time? — No

What was the consequence if you had been too late? — I was most commonly beaten.

Severely? — Very severely, I thought

…

Child labor had begun to clash with new moral ideas. More and more, critics called for change toward the end of the nineteenth century.

Such criticisms led to new laws in Europe and the United States. They did not end child labor but put limits on it. In parts of Europe, new restrictions made it costlier to employ children. Such changes led to declines in the child work force. However, countries such as Russia and the United States lagged behind. Their governments waited much longer to regulate child labor.

In the United States, unions managed to get child labor laws at the state level. The photographs of Lewis Hine proved to be powerful evidence.

Economic reasons to end child labor

Economic factors also brought change. The most effective reforms were those that increased the cost of child labor. In addition, adult workers began to protest since they were competing for work with children. These adults often argued against child labor to protect their jobs. At the same time, more machines were replacing many child laborers.

Soon, these moral and economic forces combined to reduce child labor. New regulations made child labor too costly. Some employers stopped hiring kids. For industries willing to ignore the law, though, child labor was still a cost-effective option.

Education before employment

You might wonder why kids were working instead of going to school. The idea that kids should go to school in the first place was pretty new.  

In Western countries, government-funded schooling expanded during the long nineteenth century. More countries began requiring younger children to attend. Even after reforms, though, school didn’t replace child labor. Instead, children often worked as well as attending school.

An uneven movement

Child labor declined in the industrialized West in the first part of the 1900s. However, it stayed the same and even increased in agricultural or colonial societies. For example, the informal nature of child labor in India made it difficult to regulate. In parts of Latin America, working children were set to families in need of extra labor. This system even continued after slavery was abolished.

Many children were still forced to work. These abusive systems continue to this day in some parts of the world. A report in 2017 revealed about 152 million children worldwide still are forced to work.

Child labor is far less common than it once was, though. Around the world, education and literacy rates among children are rising. Protections for children are more common. They are creating safer, healthier lives for many kids.