Working Conditions of Women and Children

Working Conditions for Women and Children

Many have labeled the end of the Civil War as a time of prosperity, as the northern industrial sect, and bankers became extremely wealthy during the war. However, prosperity soon turned to despair, as a recession took hold of the country. This financial crisis had a variety of causes--post war inflation, property losses in large major cities, heavy investments in the railroads, and large trade deficits, which ultimately put a strain on bank reserves. The investment in the railroad industry seems to be the major cause, as the government and private investors were placing a large amount of money into this venture with no immediate return on their investment.

The financial industry was no longer stable. Many began having difficulty taking their money out of banks, which soon failed. There was a chain reaction, once the first bank closed their doors. Factories began laying off workers, as they had no financial means for payroll or supplies. This left many without jobs, and homeless. Recovery was not realized until 1878.

The economic standing of the United States began to improve in 1877, and by 1878 it began to be felt throughout the nation. Confidence in the market and in our governmental bodies returned slowly. Farmers were yielding large crops, which spurred more commerce on a national and global scale.

After recovery had been realized, the United States economy experienced an explosive escalation in industrial growth. Due to the increased demand for manufactured goods, there was a need to expand the labor force.

Most families were having a difficult time surviving on what they were bringing home. Although the average standard of living for workers increased progressively, many families were still struggling, and could not make ends meet. It took about $600.00 per year for a family to live comfortably, and most workers were earning $400-$500 per year. Therefore, the burden began to fall on other members of the family. Women and children had to become part of the labor force.

Factory conditions were poor, and some cases deplorable. Lack of effective government regulation led to unsafe and unhealthy work sites.

Employers were more frugal with their budgets due to recession that they had recently survived. In order to save money, many employers hired women and children mainly because they would work for lower wages than adult men.

Some women were paid as little as six dollars a week, while their male counterparts made nearly double that pay. Most women performed unskilled or semi-skilled machine work, while other women were employed in industries that required heavy manual labor.

Children also worked long hours for low wages, just as the women in the work force did. The number of children that were employed in a factory setting increased steadily. By 1900, roughly 1.7 million children under the age of 16 were working up to 60 hours per week in factories. Children were being employed as young as 5 or 6 years old.

These children suffered from a variety of ailments during their employment. Depending on the job that a child had, they may have been subjected to intense heat, and having to breathe heavy fumes. In the mining industry, young children were forced to be in cramped positions, breathing dust from the mines, and sifting through coal. Some children that worked late into the night had water thrown in their faces to keep them awake. Working under these types of conditions resulted in many injuries, and even death.

The increase in the industrial employment sector did not create child labor, but it did contribute to the fury that the reformers felt, by adding fuel