Knowledge
      The Industrial Revolution changed the way many Americans do business. The explosion of this new era brought in profits for textile mill owners, factory owners, and other manufacturers. As industries grew, products became cheaper and the need for cheap labor increased. Children began putting in longer hours for cheaper wages; they were caught in the industrial bandwagon. Due to the long hours of hard work, children lacked the time and energy for school. Illiteracy among children grew and education was not considered a priority. Continue>

Economy
     "There is work that profits children, and there is work that brings profits only to employers. The object of employing children is not to train them, but to get high profits from their work." -Lewis Hine, 1908 Continue>

Conditions
        Throughout history, children have been working under very unhealthy and hazardous conditions. Their working environments were so unsafe that fatal accidents became an everyday routine. Presently, there are about 250 million children under the age of 15 who are a part of the labor industry. The working conditions have not changed in fact, they have gotten worse. Children who spend most of their waking hours working are future condemned to a life of poverty, illiteracy, and prolonging their misery. Continue>