Child Labor in America

Paper Summary:

This paper examines and reacts to the photographs of Lewis Hine, specifically those that address the nature of child labor in the United States in the early twentieth century. The discussion includes touches on Hine's own life, the nature and extent of child labor in the United States, but also the implications that these photographs have for the current issue of child labor in the modern world.

From the Paper:

"Child labor is one of the most disturbing phenomena in the developed world. The notion that children barely old enough to go to school might slave away twelve or more hours in a workshop or factory is repugnant to modern sensibilities. In the 21st century in the West, it is possible to look down on child labor with a moral certitude with which few can argue. Yet, we often forget that the development of the modern industrial First World was built on the labor of children throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries. It shouldn't be a surprise, then, that many developing nations throughout the Third World are currently developing their own industrial infrastructure on the backs of children."

More papers on Child Labor in America:

• Essay # 56061 : "Child Labor in America"
• Essay # 45004 : "Child Labor in 19th Century America"
• Essay # 56497 : "Child Labor"

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