Why were child labor laws made?
U.S. child labor laws were created in the early 20th century to keep children in school and protect them from the health and safety hazards associated with certain industries such as coal mining, agriculture and manufacturing.HistoryWith the rise of the Industrial Age, employers needed more workers and sought child labor because they were easier to control and paid less. New England labor unions were among the first to decry child labor in the late 19th century.ConditionsFederal regulations regarding labor did not exist at the time, so children would work long hours in unsafe and unsanitary conditions, leaving little, if any, time for school.State LawsStates such as Massachusetts and New York were among the first to enforce child labor laws and require children to attend school.Federal LawIt took decades for a sweeping federal child labor law to be passed. The Fair Labor Standards Act, which protected against child labor, was passed in 1938.SignificanceFederal law now restricts the num
