“Rise of Industrial America, 1876 – 1900”

The children often worked 12-13 hours a day or more, six days a week, in farm fields, canneries, and coal mines did not want to work. They wanted to go to school and learn to read and write. They wanted to play games and have fun with other children. Sadly, many of them knew no other way of life.

Children often entered the work force at age eight or nine because parents needed their children's wages. They worked in coal mines, textile mills and other factories. Without safety regulations, children were three times more likely to hurt themselves than adults.

Children working in a cotton mill

Young girl in knitting mill

Boys working in a lumber company

Picking potatoes

Boys and girls as young as 7 years old worked with razor-sharp knives as fish cutters. Some began working before daylight and worked until nightfall. Their wages were often less than 50 cents a day. The money they earned would help their families buy food and pay the rent.

5-year old shrimp cannery worker

5 year old paperboy jumped off and on moving trolley cars to sell his papers to passenger

Boys selling paper

Breaker boys in a coal mine were oftenprodded with sticks or kicked if they fell behind.