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Children between the ages of five and six today are sent to kindergarten to learn rudimentary educational skills in the hopes of propelling them into higher education. On the contrary, “before the mid-1800’s, the majority of Americans thought of children as little adults. Thus, as soon as children were able to contribute to a family’s income, parents put them to work."1 Initially, children weren't permitted a "true" childhood as they were sent to work as soon as they were physically able. However, with the rise of industrialization during the Gilded Age many middle to upper class families were able to keep their children safe at home due to the increasing standard of living. Instead of working in factories and mines, middle to upper class children would work as paperboys, tend livestock, or run errands.1
On the opposite side of the spectrum, thousands of lower class children were forced to work in factories or in the mines, just to ensure their family's survival. The Panic of 1893 and the Panic of 1873 only widened this socioeconomic gap. Both of these economic depressions were the result of series of bank failures that ultimately caused a rise in unemployment and prices. 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, without restrictions. 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. The factories that were employing children were very dangerous to the child's health due to the large output of toxins and fumes. Many children suffered permanent disabilities as a consequence of the poor working conditions and machine related accidents. "Industrialization did not create child labor, but it did contribute to the need for child labor reform."2 There is a two-fold assessment on the experiences of children during this time period- the emotional aspect, and the physical aspect. The emotional aspect, permitted children from relishing in traditional childhood bliss, and instead relegated them to adult-like responsibilities, taking away the classical innocence of childhood. The physical aspect of the detrimental effects of these adult responsibilities robbed children of their youthfulness, rendering them crippled or permanently damaged for the rest of their lives.
1Perry, Elizabeth, and Karen Smith. "Childhood." In The Gilded Age & Progressive Era. New York: Oxford University Press, 2006.
2Davis, Kay. "Documenting "The Other Half" The Social Reform Photography of Jacob Riis and Lewis Hine." University ofVirginia.AccessedSeptember2,2014.http://xroads.virginia.edu/~MA01/Davis/photography/reform/progressive_era.htm.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, thousands of lower class children were forced to work in factories or in the mines, just to ensure their family's survival. The Panic of 1893 and the Panic of 1873 only widened this socioeconomic gap. Both of these economic depressions were the result of series of bank failures that ultimately caused a rise in unemployment and prices. 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, without restrictions. 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. The factories that were employing children were very dangerous to the child's health due to the large output of toxins and fumes. Many children suffered permanent disabilities as a consequence of the poor working conditions and machine related accidents. "Industrialization did not create child labor, but it did contribute to the need for child labor reform."2 There is a two-fold assessment on the experiences of children during this time period- the emotional aspect, and the physical aspect. The emotional aspect, permitted children from relishing in traditional childhood bliss, and instead relegated them to adult-like responsibilities, taking away the classical innocence of childhood. The physical aspect of the detrimental effects of these adult responsibilities robbed children of their youthfulness, rendering them crippled or permanently damaged for the rest of their lives.
1Perry, Elizabeth, and Karen Smith. "Childhood." In The Gilded Age & Progressive Era. New York: Oxford University Press, 2006.
2Davis, Kay. "Documenting "The Other Half" The Social Reform Photography of Jacob Riis and Lewis Hine." University ofVirginia.AccessedSeptember2,2014.http://xroads.virginia.edu/~MA01/Davis/photography/reform/progressive_era.htm.