"CHILD LABOR WAS A DREADFUL SICKNESS..."

The Industrial Revolution began in New England in the early 1800's. For many children this meant a life bordered on slavery. Why? Businessmen needed help in their factories day and night to operate the machines. Children could be paid less money than adults, so greedy businessmen often hired children between the ages of five and 15 to run the dangerous machines. Many children were from poor immigrant families and didn't speak English. They worked up to 16 hours a day in filthy, dark factories and were paid only one to three dollars a week. When did the exploitation of children end? And what did it take to end it?

From the back of the Weekly Reader edition