When and why did child labor begin to disappear?

Child labor was part of the American labor scene until the early 1900s. It was then that Progressives began to highlight the issues with child labor, which led to the beginning of the development of child labor laws. Progressives believed children should be attending school instead of working in factories.

In the early 1900s, more attention was brought to the issue of child labor. John Spargo’s book, The Bitter Cry of the Children, published in 1906, highlighted the issue of children working in the coal mines. Children were working long hours, with unsafe conditions, and for low pay. Children were also working under similar conditions in our factories. This led to calls for change regarding child labor.

Actions were taken to deal with child labor. President Taft established the Children’s Bureau, which investigated issues involving child labor. Some laws required children to attend school. Other laws were passed that set a minimum age to work. One example was the Keating-Owen Child Labor Act that was passed in 1916.

The Progressives were concerned about the use of child labor and worked to correct this abuse. Through the efforts of Progressives, child labor was reduced in the United States in the first two decades of the 1900s.