Example of Child Labor During the Gilded Age

In the history of the United States, the Gilded Age is considered as the period that span from the eighteen-seventies to the twentieth century. As the term denotes, it is coined by none other than Charles Warner and Mark Twain. They satirize the thing that they believed as social problems that are concealed by the gold gilding.

More so, it is considered as the era where enormous growth is seen, particularly in the West and the North. At this era, a lot of emigrant people were attracted from Europe. Nevertheless, the era is also considered to be of enormous poverty. In fact, a lot of families have their annual income of three-hundred eighty dollars that are lower than the poverty line.

Apart from it, the main industry is focused on railroads that the labor unions, factory system and mining also increased. There are also two nationwide depressions that became popular such as “Panic of 1983” and “Panic of 1873”. At the south, they continued to be economically devastated as the economy turned out to be increasingly tied with the tobacco and cotton production along with low prices.

Even the Afro-Americans living in the South are alienated from voting rights and political power. The landscape of the politics is also noted with corruption. There is also a higher turnout wherein elections are found between the matched parties. More so, the issues that arise are focused on the culture including the education, racial and ethnic groups. Economics such as money supply and tariffs are also some of the issues during this era.

Furthermore, reformers also battled against the eight-hour working day and child labor, prohibition, reform on the civil service and even women’s suffrage. The local and state governments also created hospitals, colleges and schools that they even received donations from the different religious denominations and philanthropists structured the cultural and social lives of the many American people.

Another example of the Gilded Age is the industrialization of the 1800’s and 1900’s. A lot of companies situated in America are using children as a means of cheap labor in most farms, work places and factories. The working hours are also long and the conditions are unsafe. In most cases, a lot of workers were killed and were hurt because of this. In effect, a lot of reformers decided to carry about changes which will further improve the living of the factory workers, including the children. As for these reformers, they supported changes which are even viewed by a lot of people at this era as dangerous and radical to the society. In effect, there is also a strong opposition in regard with the objectives and goals.

Apart from it, a lot of children started to work even before they reach the age of seven. There is also a time wherein a lot of children in the United States strive in factories for seventy-hours over a week. Children also worked in farming and in underground, such as coal mines. They also have not time of going or playing at school.

Child labor is stopped when there is a law that is passed in the year of 1813. The law states that all working children have the right in formal schooling. Almost twenty-eight states even pass laws that regulate child labor.