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On the opposite side of the spectrum, thousands of lower class children were forced to work in the factories or in the mine, just to confirm that their family could get by that day. This just goes to show how different children in the same time period lived. There was a large gap evident between the social classes during this time. The Panic of 1983 and the Panic of 1873 also did nothing but widen this gap across the nation. These were desperate times, and children were seen as an easy source of cheap labor, working in factories for more than seventy hours per week. "Industrialization did not create child labor, but it did contribute to the need for child labor reform. The replacement of skilled artisans by machinery and the growth of factories and mills made child labor increasingly profitable for businesses. Many employers preferred hiring children because they were quick, easy to train, and were willing to work for lower wages. Progressive Era reformers believed that child labor was detrimental to children and to society. They believed that children should be protected from harmful environments so that they would becom e healthy, productive adults. Their goals were to develop programs that would eliminate children's participation in industry and increase their involvement in education and extracurricular activities (Progressive Era Reform)." There has always been a strong opposition to child labor, but in some cases it was necessary for the survival of the family. Even today, child labor laws exist that limit the amount of hours a child under the age of eighteen can work, and ensuring that said child has an adequate amount of time devoted to education. Children are also not permuted to work jobs that are declared hazardous to their health. “In 1813, child labor is stopped, as the law states that all working children have the right in formal schooling. Almost twenty-eight states even pass laws that regulate child labor (Occupy Theory).”
Perry, Elizabeth I., and Karen M. Smith. "The Gilded Age & Progressive Era." Google Books. Oxford University Press, n.d. Web.02Sept.2014.<http://books.google.com/booksd=pDhUXlMt6pkC&pg=PA63&lpg=PA63&dq=children+in+the+gilded+age&source=bl&ots=2Ywe2yr0to&sig=N9Bm0AVzNSa4_A4UFNL76tGWnhg&hl=en&sa=X&ei=n2YFVJHdA9WPNtLHgrgP&ved=0CCsQ6AEwAjgU#v=onepage&q=children%20in%20the%20gilded%20age&f=false>. "Documenting "The Other Half": The Social Reform Photography of Jacob Riis and Lewis Hine.
" Documenting "The Other Half": The Social Reform Photography of Jacob Riis and Lewis Hine. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Sept. 2014. <http://xroads.virginia.edu/~MA01/Davis/photography/reform/progressive_era.html>.
"Example of Child Labor During the Gilded Age." OccupyTheory Example of Child Labor During the Gilded Age Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Sept. 2014. <http://occupytheory.org/example-of-child-labor-during-the-gilded-age/>.