Child labor first became an issue in the 1850's for the most part in Northern cities like New York and worsened with the increase of industry. Poor children in large cities as young as 6 or 7 were sent out by parents to contribute to their household income. Children worked in factories, mine fields, and in the streets. They also picked cotton, shined shoes, sold newspapers, canned fish, made clothes and wove fabric. The youngest children worked as scavengers. They would gather rope, metal, and bottles while the older kid's street peddled or worked at huckstering (negotiating). The children who worked in the streets away from adult supervision often found themselves mixed up in gambling, prostitution, or stealing. Children were seen as cheap labor and with money hard to come across these kids had no choice but to work for what little they could get (2).

In 1900 more than 2 million children across the United States were found to be working in mines, fields, factories, stores, and city streets(3). People began to realize how badly these children were being treated that they began to question whether or not our society was worth preserving. Some progress was made in 1938 when the government passed the Fair Labor Standard Act. This law required for employers to pay children minimum wage. It also limited the age of child laborers to 16 or older and 18 if the occupation is hazardous. Children who were 14 and 15 were permitted to work in certain places after school hours. Other Laws were then passed to adjust to different scenarios that may have risen. It is also became a requirement for the child t weigh at least 80 pounds and be 60 inches in height (2). Eventually it would become illegal for parents to keep children out of school before the age of sixteen. Laws vary from state to state but they all regulate how much youngsters work.

In the United States many organizations, such as the National Child Labor Committee, worked to eliminate child labor. The organization was formed in 1904 by social workers (3). Public support was boosted by journalist who exposed the horrible conditions children worked under. Individuals also made strides to make people conscience of what was

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Approximate Word count = 904
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)