South Carolina Standards: 7-7.4, 8-6.1

Child Labor: Then and Now

I would like to welcome to the Child Labor Lounge Museum. Sit back and take a peek into the issues of child labor in the United States and the world. The theme of the museum is “Then and Now”.

INTRODUCTION

In the United States, cheap labor became important to the mill owners due to the growth of textile mills in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Children were one source of cheap labor found by the owners. People began to question whether the use of children as labor was morally right. In the early twentieth century state and federal laws began to restrict the use of child labor.

Throughout the world, child labor is still a critical issue. Many countries still support the use of children as cheap labor. The United Nations has adopted many policies to help protect the rights of children in the world.

As you tour the museum you will learn how laws have changed in South Carolina and the rest of the world. You will also examine the treatment of children in the textile mills and the daily life of a bobbin girl in the Lowell Textile Mill. Sit back and relax and enjoy the tour.