U.S. Child Labor, 1908-1920

[dayspeace]

It is quite sad. i hope child labor will be stopped. children's right should be protected and upheld.

[cpepe22]

I am suppose to believe this why? becuase of some -pictures?

[TheSeer101]

Conversation bewteen a 12 year old boy and his mother, one in 1911 another in 2011. In 1911: After a bad case of pneumonia, son says "Mom, I am sorry I had pneumonia. I will work twice as hard to make up for it." Mother says "Please son do not go out in the rain and sell papers." Son walks out the door and says "I love you mom." In 2011: While playing a computer game, son says, "Mom why didn't you cut the crust off my bread? Mother says "I am sorry" Son replies "Damn you!!"

[carpetcowboy58]

Tell me again about the "good old days" and how bad unions are.

[bastardchildofmary]

nO NINTENDO, KIDS LOOK HEALTHY, NOT FAT SLOBS DESTINED TO COLLECT WELFARE! BRING IT BACK!!

[xexixk]

@bastardchildofmary Yeah those were definitly good times. No educational opportunities, just back breaking work from childhood until death and the low wages that go with that kind of work. If you are serious then you are sick.

[Husavikur]

Liberals have ruined this. What once was a great source of cheap labor for us, the wealthy few, has been outlawed at the expense of the families these kids worked to support. These kids look like happy, productive workers! Vote Republican in 2012 if you want to help these kids. Allow them to work like they do in China so they can help to support their families! Vote Bachman/Perry!

[xexixk]

@Husavikur LOL

[bthemedia]

finally, music after waiting until 2:10

[ElunedDdedwydd]

This is heartbreaking. And the GOP wants to return us to that! Greedy Capitalists LACKING Humanity and compassion!

[dave7222]

Hello very good video, I put one together similar. To view it click on my name dave7222 above this comment.

[franks2732]

The Libertarian Party Platform in full display. How vile is it for people to believe in the repeal of child labour laws. Libertarians and neoconservative are evil without one shred of human decency

[ryanmshepard92]

@franks2732 This was one of the things that deconverted me from libertarianism.

[davysouthernboy1979]

This is horrible. I can't believe this is how things were back in the 1920s.

[MrKenichi20]

They should show this video to all the Narks in Congress and in Government Today. LePage, Walker, Snyder, Kasich, and the Entire wing of the GOP that wants to go back to the 19th century and who hate Children, This is that Gilded Age that you love so much, and then after they watch this, ask them how did they sleep at night

[lisnagavor]

This is how we get jobs back to America! We force our children to work for as little as third world children do! The corporations will see the savings in not having to ship their goods back to the States! The Market will go through the roof! The rich will get even richer! We're saved! Get to work kids!

[unseenxxx]

@lisnagavor Democrats are pussies. Michael Moore is uneducated.

[henryh101]

@unseenxxx Are you ignorant?? You are OK with child labour because you are some kind of hard-assed Republican? And if Michael Moore is uneducated, I hate to think what kind of a brainless wonder you are.

[xexixk]

@henryh101 The frightening thing is there are politicians in several states trying to undo state child labor laws (thought what many of them want to do would contridict federal child labor laws so wouldn't stand in the federal courts). Even more alarming is the number of people I've had telll me they it would be a could idea and would "help" families in poverty. WTF? Pulling a kid out of school and sending them off to work will ultimately just condemn to a life of grinding poverty.

[Lupitamihita]

The greed of big corporations know no bounds. The republicans should be ashamed of themselves for conspiring with them.This is not the America I want.

[justanotherjunkaddy]

Heartbreaking. I have a son who is 12, and I couldn't IMAGINE him having to do the kinds of things these kids had to do. That little newspaper seller at 4:52 is hardly bigger than the paper he's selling! And industry was dangerous to *anyone* then...all the more dangerous for small, inexperienced kids.

[dynamite069]

love how there is no talk about how even though all these pushes against child labour were occurring residential schools became mandatory and involved child labour under the mask of ' education' well past this 'constitution' against child labour

[ElunedDdedwydd]

This is what the republicans want, why they are trying to bust unions. They are bought and paid for by the greedy corporations who want to amass as much money as possible, no matter what the cost. STAND UP FOR UNIONS AND COLLECTIVE BARGAINING! We do NOT want to return to this horrid "lifestyle".

[conmanumber1]

it saddens me somewhat seeing the pearcing eyes of those children....regardless of race,time passed etc, its heartbreaking.

[thewindystorms]

I had to dislike this. I hate that these children were put through this.

[nesquikADDICTED]

Wasnt there a movie about this, i mean with characters and stuff, not a documentary?

[mrsbrown333]

this is the kind of exploitation corporations prefer to this day.this is what they want back in the usa, and are practicing in china, indonesia, mexico, and anywhere where they can exploit people. busting unions is going on as we speak. this is why we need to fight back.

[063637981]

Do we really want to go back to this way of life for children and people in general. Great video!!

[1Linean]

Lewis Hine's photographs are always breathtaking, but his documentation of child labor was, I think, his greatest work. This is a terrific video that I show to my students every semester. Thanks, Scrappy.

[TashaRichardsonFan1]

Beautiful music!!!

[GagasMonster232]

6:32 fourth girl in the row dj pauly ds sister lol :) but ya i feel sorry for all the kids who had to grow up in all that stress and im thankful that or constitution changed :)

[TheCarlito27]

this is show us how LUCKY we all are... kids wants IPHONE,LAPTOP,MP3,NIKE,ADIDAS,­PIZZA HUT,MCDONALDS, I WANT THIS I WANT THAT..... HEY GUYS I HOPE WORLD WILL NEVER GO BACK TO THOSE HORIBLE TIMES

[Sharpshooter3497]

This was a great and eye opening small video. It shows that we should consider ourselves lucky that those who pushed the child labor law did what they did. If they didn't care about these kids, we would be working in factories and out on the streets. When thanksgiving comes around, just think of that.

[musicalidea]

There are more child laborers in factories, mills, plants, mines and fields than ever before: under conditions equally and often more terrible than those of the early Industrial Revolution in Britain. The struggle against slavery is not over - it has only begun!

[selfrealizedexile]

@musicalidea

Children work in underdeveloped countries precisely because they're underdeveloped; the families need the extra labor to survive. When their economies become capital intensive enough, the children won't have to work like American children don't have to and can afford to go to school. If you try to outlaw child labor (bear in mind I'm speaking of voluntary labor), you will condemn the families to starvation. Don't forget to use your head in addition to your heart.

[Restfulduchess]

Thanks for the post ScrappyGater it was very interesting.

[Sunsetmills]

My grandmother (born in 1913) and her sister Madeleine were both put out to work as live-in maids when they were eight years old. My grandmother was lucky and placed with a family that treated her well. Her sister was sexually abused and at age 34, drank herself to death. She said it was the normal thing for kids of poorer families to work to earn their keep or lessen the burden on the family. Parents or kids never thought it was wrong, but she said she was glad things were so different today

[JFM135]

Great video. You have to love those fotos.

Children today do not have it easy. They have been born into an out-of-control consuming society where adults are children with little purpose, direction or service. Heroes are the people who have the least self respect and are mostly driven by vanity.  Children are being given "comfort" at some level, but are being totally abandoned in a much more profound way. Spiritual bankruptcy.

[ghettothugprincez]

we shud all be thankful dat we no longer live in that kind of generation.i mean..lets be realistic.. der generations are far more WORSE than wat we live here right now. imagine..at young age(sum kids are lyk 2 or 5 yrs.of age!) nd yet they hve 2 work juzt 4 d sake of theyre selves,families&Livelihood!

[a55kiker]

I've never heard that Bach peice sound so good. Great video. Capitalism can be f@#$ed up.

[ChipsALaChocolat]

All children are the product of their upbringing: era, parents, society, government, etc. If there were some way to abduct a child at birth born today and place them in this era, it's very much possible such atrocities could occur to them. However, if a child was born in 1889 and placed in today's world, they'd be like every other child today. I guess this is kind of a pointless post, but kids are still kids no matter when or where they were born, and sometimes I forget that...

[mkarent]

Thanks for sharing this video. Real eye-opener. Some stunning imagery too.

[starletdempsy]

Poor babies, they should be at school not at mills and hard factories. God bless the little children

[starletdempsy]

Poor babies, they should be at school not at mills and hard factories. God bless the little childern.

[NicaMom3]

unlike all the spoiled brats of today,

[laiilaii30]

diiz iz a gud thing i gladi didnt have u do diz i feel bad 4 all the kidz dat didnt get 2 go 2 skol

[g3okar]

Nobody seems to be asking the one question we should be asking, and that isWhy are these children working? Would you as a parent allow your kids to work, especially under these conditions? Lets be honest, all work is VOLUNTARY. No one can make anyone work otherwise there would never be unemployment. Unfortunately the working conditions were horrendous, but please understand that the alternative was worsePlease read up on Austrian Economics, it explains it all

[babybookworm003]

yes but you see hunger makes a strong pursasion unfortnatly no body thought at that time that rasing the incomes of the parents would of been better they just said let the children work as well yes the work was a choice for the parents to make but the other choice was to starve so at the time wrong or not the children worked till the goverment stepped in

[Cronopioslover274]

@g3okar Perhaps the only root of this is called "wars"

While rich people were enjoying "golden age", "victorian age" and big profits of the "industrial Revolution", there were children working shoeless, in big coal mines and factories. Aparently who ingites wars in thismilenium could not learn from these children who build our modern countries. Wars destroy humanity.

[NothingEverDies]

"All work is voluntary."

Neoclassical bullshit. Coercion exists in the market for labor. It's called starvation and homelessness. "No one can make anyone else work" - then why did Ford use thugs to beat up his workers? Riddle me that.

[ZEUSodinTHOR]

@NothingEverDies -- Good comment! I hope most realize this.

[selfrealizedexile]

@NothingEverDies

That isn't coercion by the market. That's facing reality.

The problem with your mentality is you think you're entitled to a life devoid of satisfying needs like hunger with your own labor. Whether we have gov't regulation, anarcho-syndicalism, or a free market, you still have to eat. All a market is proposing is voluntary trade and division of labor for a better life. That, against, isn't coercion by the market.

[jvteague]

They had hard lives...grew up and fought a world war...they were the greatest generation to live...many did not have great childhoods thus they spoiled their children who lacked for nothing their children were given everything and became the worst generation to live...Its the difficult things in life that make us better people. God bless my 90 year old dad.

[flashrewind]

maybe this will help. search.....The Decline And Fall Of The Human Race.

[cinemartian]

So, this is still happening today. Only now they get the children in other countries to do the work. That way it's not as close to home, and we can continue to buy their products and not think twice about it.

[MileProwersFan]

CLEAN UP YOUR ROOM! But mom! Thats way too hard! The kids back in the day worked in factories 73 hours a week! Consider yourself LUCKY!

[poeboy2]

They thought that child and labor exploitation by business owners in the USA was a thing of the past. They thought wrong. One of the largest blueberry producing companies, a supplier to major food chains, just got busted for using child labor. Stories like that just make me shake my head in wonder and horror when people say that we don't need unions. The concerns of the corporation and the concerns of the worker have never been one and the same. They only will be if workers own the businesses.

[Entropy56]

In the future we will be shown pictures of Mexicans picking fruit in California and Texas and say how racist America was. LOL! Everyone is entitled to free housing, healthcare, food stamps, and minimum wages.

[rentnation]

Doesn't happen today. I wrk in Tx. I have 7th grade students one's worked 2 years at Chil** plus another 2yrs at El Chi## 4yrs total. Family wrks for Ty"nino". So, either started at 9 yrs or, already graduated Mexican H.S. at 15, enrolled Jr.H.S. at 16 and dating 12 yr olds on campus at 17. I've seen some little girls that have more wrinkles than a 28 year old. Who are these people? Is it racism to point out the system still exists to benefit those that have weird rituals under redwoods

[rentnation]

Think that it doesn't go on today? Huh? Well in Tx I was talking to my kid ( 7th grade) and for the past 2 years he has worked at Chili's a restaurant in N.Tx. Before that he worked at El Chico for 2 yrs. Dishwasher. It's racism to bring this up? Right...Fuxsico or US? The plan! graduate Mex H.Sch. at 15 come to US enroll 7th gr with fake docs. Dad works for Tyson. 17+ in Jr. Hi working in Fast Food dating 12 yr olds. I've seen 20+yr olds in Jr.Hi. I've seen 10 yr olds make your burgers.

[rickbar123]

i cant get my kids to cut the grass

[wowoak]

@rickbar123 Don't feed them then! Then they'll cut the grass. LOL

[CorporateNoodles]

If Republicans had their way you would have learned to spell better in school.

[wkruk1979]

if republicans had there way this would be the norm

[darlena1956]

Why? What is their way? What have you heard to make you think republicans what child labor? Read the book - The Jungle. What is illegal immigrant labor but slavery.

[Sundiii2]

And people don't think child labor is slavery?? The best way to get people to see it is to say that none of that hard work should have existed, because now we can see we should have let all people work 10 hrs a week building 100-story Tpwer cities connected to maglev Trains. Of course all people should own all things, to end world poverty,& to eliminate money which enslaves us. Read "When Corporations Rule the World."

[darlena1956]

That is not reality.

[INH0CSIGN0VINCES]

Powerful video. This video illustrates the struggle of our grandparents from Ireland or Italy. God Bless all of them....tough as nails they were.

[herbs814]

Our country is stronger now because our grandparents were tough as nails.

[ScrappyGater]

I couldn't agree with you guys more, they were as stated "The Greatest Generation."

[cienferris]

Yeah? Well at least children appreciated what they had back then. Now every American child thinks (s)he has a right to be lazy and still be waited on hand and foot (or else someone's going to prison for neglect). . .

[Sansash01202]

Same in the UK - the attitude comes from watching talentless celebrities getting millions for nothing and kids think it's theirs by divine right.

[008sergio]

2009 texas min wage for tipped employee,s is $ 2.33 hour ! look it up !

[herbs814]

Why is there a "minimum wage" at all? Our arrogant government does not know better than employers and employees what a just wage is.

[008sergio]

they broke thier backs w/out SS @ welfare !

[008sergio]

we all complain today about our jobs, but look at them !

[Jawblues]

Here some great artist from the 20`s

/watch?v=lXak4UkQBI4&feature=c­hannel_page

[Sundiii2]

This was child slavery, not child labour. Because the wage is a slave system but most people didn't know that. America spent millions & killed millions of people worldwide, in ignorance, to force all nations to work as slaves for wages. Now we can see that the world needed Socialism & Communism (love your neighbor--help others survive). Read Wm Blum's "Rogue State" where you'll see it. People should work part-time building Tower cities connected to trains. Eliminate all vehicles.

[TheAdamTheory]

Oh nonsense. Wages are only slavery when the state controls them!

Allow the free market to decide these things!

Workers sell their labor. Their labor is a market. Unions should arm themselves with this knowledge, and collectively decide help marketable wage range, without legislation. Legislation assaults the market. Fuck the state.

[frother]

Did you just watch the same video that I did? That is what happens when the market is allowed to seek profit without government restrictions. The market doesn't "just work" magically without regulation.. that's like trying to drive without touching the steering wheel. You get anticompetitive tactics, low wages... I don't like the system either, but don't cut out the only sanity leaving the worst parts!

[Eldel15]

Communism enslaved everyone to everyone and took a mans individual freedoms away.

[HarborGuy]

Maybe we'd have less steeet gangs and killings if the kids worked today and got an education the hard way. They might have respect for themselves and others.

[FaerieCrone]

Although I do see your point and reason, at the same time I think that children should be allowed to be children. Although it wouldn't hurt for them to do chores at home like we had to - without whining or expecting to be paid for it.

[kulturvultur]

My grandmother worked in a cotton mill in England as a girl which was treacherous work that you dont get the sense of from this video

they had to go under the machines to fetch fluff which was incredibly dangerous, and her father would kick her hard if she wasn't moving fast enough with the boss around

the BBC drama North and South gives a very good depiction of the practice, set in a historic cotton mill...but I'm looking for a documentary that went with it that showed how dangerous it was

[OlivenciaStudios]

They should show this video on every school in the United States. The children of today society should understand how easy they have it .

[RPenta]

@OlivenciaStudios

I have a better idea; why not show it at the Republican Conventions and ask: why do Republicans always take anti-labor position?

But it should be shown in schools, might radicalize the kids

[zenbrenzz]

lower orders...makes my blood boil

[zenbrenzz]

This shit makes me want to go out and start a revolution.

I hate so many things about this capitalistic country.

My mother started working in a cotton mill (PURE HELL) when she was 12. She had polio when younger and wore leg braces and stood on a box to reach the looms. She told us many times she went to work barefoot.

Fuck Capitalism!

[BatesLine]

Then by all means, please move to a beautiful communist country like China. They abort all children after a couple's first child, and send people with outspoken criticism to labor camps or prison for life. There are several middle eastern countries that can take care of opposition quickly as well. In the U.S. we outlawed these horrible practices- by a vote.

[Kropotkin2000]

No, not by a vote; by struggle, by protest, by agitation, by organization, even by gun battles. I also don't understand the dichotomy you present, if capitalism is unjust and immoral, that does not mean one should prefer China or some middle eastern regime; there are other options. Also ironically, it's capitalist corporations from the US and Europe which invest in China because it's worker conditions are akin to what the US had in the early 1900s, low wages, no worker rights, few regulations.

[triked14]

hmmm needs some depressing music to go along with

how bout some slipknot?

[CanadianNinjaMonkey]

Only 36 comments in a year. I found this by finding The History Place in StumbleUpon, seeing all these photographs there, checking wikipedia, and clicking on one of its links.

Child labor is an evil that still lives. I believe this world spends too much time over-entertaining some children while over-working others. Children need to learn industry and the mental skills needed for survival, but they don't need to be "put to work" to learn this. They need to be children, above all.

[Dyankees333]

helped me on my essay thx

[AngelaRed]

ok I see the purpose of child labor laws. BUT My opinion on why the Economy is so bad, is people today depend on that dollar way too much and can't fend for themselves. I think Families need to be more responisble for their own wealthfare, not the dollar. I don't think children should work for money, or in factories. but they should do more "chores" and every household should have their own garden and grow their own food, and the kids help pick the food. Teach the kids how to survive....

[ScienceIsDead]

Yes, but we have all destroyed this sense of localization. We have sold our families and communities for a paltry price and the sad reality is most of us do not know how to do these things anymore.

[juicyg11]

this helped me on my essay as well

[coolkatkara]

Thanks this helped me on an essay!

[kelc8P]

this is amazing.

veryyyy nice job.

could i borrow some pics for a power point im doing. ill give full credit to the photographer. :D

[wolftime100]

i hate child labor laws. In America I can;t be employed even at the mom and pop grocery store and i get great grades at school but i want to work not beg for money to my parents.

[megers16]

get over it. babysit or something. if you were a child during that period your perspective would be totally different

[HiddenLotus111]

absolutly

[wkruk1979]

go to china than they have no labor laws for kids

[ChuckManiac]

LOL. Well they have been through a rough time. Most of us take it for granted, and complain about little things. We need to show the world about the truth and change ourselves and our way of thinking.

[Anime1234gurl]

I believe that being spoiled is better than working in sweatshop 7-8 hours a day making 25cents a day.

[PaulieRomanov]

We need child labor and sweatshops here in America.China has them and they will overtake us.Our children are spoiled and do drugs.

[NameFrUtube]

Excellent observations my Slavic brother! You must be a man of excellent qualities to possess such penetrating wisdom. I sense that a strong man like you could lead these lost children into a brighter future for us all.

[PaulieRomanov]

I believe we should outlaw outsourcing and embargo Communist China.

[vornavalley]

Thanks for a good video Scrappy - the music was appropriate too.

I used to work when I was a kid in the late 60's and early 70's. I worked as a farm labourer, then sold snacks and then worked as a receptionist for a loan company and also sold illegal moonshine for a kind old lady. It was voluntary and part time and school had to get first priority - nobody told me to go work. I think it did me good. Child labour like this video shows is not acceptable.

[vornavalley]

Thanks for the video Scrappy - the choice of music was also very appropriate. Child labour should never be allowed.

However I also worked when I was a kid in the late 60's and early 70's. I worked on a farm as a labourer, then as a snack vendor and then as a receptionist for a loan company. It was quite acceptable to the community and also my parents. However the work was all part time and voluntary - nobody asked me to work and I was expected to go give school first priority. Did well since.

[cowcreamer]

In those days it was better to work then not to work. People lived in poverty (there was no welfare system). Our mindset today cannot comprehend nor understand what these people went thru and why they were grateful to anyone who would let them work. In those days you could buy a lot with a nickel or even a dime. So if these people got paid for so many cents per day you could live on that. Today such cents are easily tossed to the ground.

[nobssagittarius2]

Bing Cosby became an over night sucess in the 20's.

[Jimraynor45]

THe reason child labor went away was not because of child labor laws, but because capitalism eventually improved the economy to the point that it didn't need child labor. And to the people who believe there actually helping these children, get over yourselves,If these children weren't working, they would be in streets selling themselves for sex and starving. Thats a lot worse than working.ANd today,there tryin to stop child labor in india and stifling the progress there and actualy make it worse

[Renegen1]

the economy improved to the point child labor wasn't needed. What? Please explain. Why exactly was child labor needed in the early economy and not in the later one. And the child wouldn't be selling themselves on the street, they'd be at home enjoying being a child. How pathetic you are for someone who had an easy upbringing to argue for child labor and for millions of children to go through such exploitation. You should of worked in the mines as a 10 year old.

[Glidescube]

So if people had jobs they complained, if there jobs were sent to china they complained. you  Just can please anyone!

[banana5764]

this is a REALLY GOOD slideshow and i was wondering if you could email this so i could use it for a school presentation.

please get back to me. i'd really appreciate it.

[WrappedInRain]

whats song is this

[goplh]

Ashokan Farewell

[MamaCakes]

It is the pendulum swing of things. Then children were worked too hard and treated as adults. Now children are spoiled and neglected.

[preid2]

Is'nt it great how we've been given this hollywood version of HIStory in the US regarding things like this and the founding fathers to the point that we have become domestocated animals or shitheads like smerdley. The only reason we have child labor laws is because people fought and died for them the only reason we have a five day work week is because people fought and died for it and noone should forget that!

[donttrustany1]

The only reason the USA is as large as it is, is because the founding fathers murdered 17million native americans...true story, do some reasearch and you will see.

[crb4059]

Fuckin stupifd liberal, every great naiton has its shameful and downtrodden secrets, no nation is perfect. Try not to take for granted the rights and freedom you have. You know you libtards are working to take it away now?

[lonelyboy03]

What exactly did we get from this administration? The Patriot Act. Freedoms? Endangered, but thats ok, its for our safety, right? Conservatives are so right on. Yeah, right.

[ANTIQUARIATOSCIPPA]

un bel video, saluti da Napoli!

[smerdley]

They worked, they did not complain, and they built America into the gretest, richest, and most powerful nation on Earth. Today's children play, and take drugs, and do school shootings, and we can;t even win a war. Meanwhile, over in China, the children work, and do not complain. And China will overtake us. Watch and see,

[TURQUILAdrinks]

Why did someone mark it as a negative comment?

HE IS COMPLETELY RIGHT.

[masterphoenixca]

Because he is advocating the exploitation of children.

[masterphoenixca]

These children were exploited. This wealth was only generated for the money class, whilst the children and their families were kept in abject poverty by these same people who got wealthy off their backs.

[JoesRedGuitar]

I don't think anyone is doubting the fact that they exploited, however i think what smerdley was saying, or at least the first half, was pretty much a fact, regardless of whether or not it is a good thing. I hardly think that he deserves a thumbs down.

[greanteawoman]

Thank you for putting together this video. This is a chapter in U.S. history that should not be forgotten. Lewis Hine relentlessly docummented this era for all of us in the future to be able to see and understand exactly what happened at that dark time in America's history. I've done a similar video focusing on the child labor in southern cotton mills. Please check it out, its from a different perspective, but I think you'll enjoy it. Thank you again!

[54221]

I just finished a project on Child Labor for my High School U.S. History class and I watched this the day I turned it in.... very interesting, and good pictures!