America's first child labor law was in 1836
Massachusetts enacted the first U.S. child labor law in 1836, capping factory workdays for children under 15 at 10 hours, a crucial step against industrial exploitation.
In 1836, Massachusetts passed America's first significant child labor law, limiting children under 15 to 10-hour workdays in factories. This groundbreaking legislation also required three months of schooling annually, a stark contrast to the brutal conditions where children as young as five toiled in dangerous textile mills.
There's more to this story — open the app to keep reading.
Continue Reading in App
2 more paragraphs · plus a 3-question quiz