Child Labor in America: 1908-1912

Here I'm presenting a page from Americas' past. One that's been forgotten within the national consciousness. It's a photo essay showing one of the reasons why capitalism, though beneficial to many of us, should not be allowed to run free of any restraints.

Child labor was a very big problem in this country because the parents of these children could not earn a living wage. Every able bodied person, including children, were compelled to work, or starve.

These photos are almost one hundred years old, and scenes such as these, seldom take place here anymore, but does still exist. The way it was at that time, is how it still is in other parts of the world today. It's ironic that the children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren of those little ones in the photos are helping to continue the practice elsewhere. Because of greed, corporations that seek to concern themselves with nothing other than the bottom line, move into countries that are desperate for any income for their populations, and the greed of their rulers, to cut labor costs to the bone. Most likely, a number of products in your own home are the result of child labor, and you don't even know it. Many of the companies that used to employ Americans who had unions, minumum wage laws, and health benefits, are now being supplied by much cheaper foreign labor, sometimes by children. All we care about are the cheaper prices, right? We also reap the benefit of higher returns on our investments if we have stock in companies that exploit child labor. But that's ok if we don't know about it, right?

A few links on the issue:

The Morality of Child Labor
BBC News: Child labour challenge toughens
World Bank: Child Labor
Human Rights Watch: Child Labor