Laws on child labor have changed greatly over the years. Around the late 1700’s and early 1800’s- also known as the Industrial Revolution- child labor was common and accepted. However, now a child has to be at least 14 (more commonly 16) in order to work. The importance of education has been amplified since then, which contributed greatly to making the child labor laws more just. During the Industrial Revolution, child labor was extremely common. Child labor was convenient, because children were smaller than adults, and could fit into and move in smaller places. They were also paid less due to their ages, which made them convenient laborers. The children worked to help support their families, which often caused them to forgo any education.
