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For centuries, children have been subjected to exploitation for economic gains

Throughout most of human history, child labor, or the use of children as workers, has been practiced. However, it reached its highest point during the Industrial Revolution, which put children in miserable and unsafe working conditions. In the US, children workers were even preferred over adults, as they were less likely to organize into unions. This tragic situation pulled children out of school, thus creating a cycle of poverty that was difficult to break. And while most of the world has banned child labor, millions of children are still working in hazardous conditions still today.

To learn more about this sad reality and its history, click on the following gallery.

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The work ethic of the 13 colonies and their founders valued hard work, and this applied to children as well.

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Through the first half of the 1800s in the US, child labor was an essential part of the agricultural and handicraft economy. Children worked on family farms and as servants for others.

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To learn about the job, boys often began their apprenticeships between the ages of 10 and 14.

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The Industrial Revolution saw the rise of factories and mines, and they needed workers. Children were the perfect employees because they could be paid less.

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Children were also favored over adults because they were often small and could attend to tasks in tight spaces. They were also less likely to organize and strike against their horrible working conditions.

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Immigration to the US peaked during the Industrial Revolution, which led to a new source of child labor. This was especially the case during the Potato Famine, when Irish immigrants moved to fill lower-level factory jobs.

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In the 1880s, many Southern and Eastern Europeans arrived, which provided a new pool of child workers. This continues today, with immigrant children working in agriculture, which is exempt from certain labor laws.

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In 1900, 18% of all American workers were under the age of 16.

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In the mid-19th century, US educational reformers attempted to convince the public that a primary school education was necessary for the country to advance.

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Several states established a minimum wage and requirements for school attendance. However, most of these laws were full of loopholes that were easily exploited by employers.

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Beginning in 1900, efforts to eliminate child labor became central to social reform in the US. The National Child Labor Committee was organized in 1904.

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From 1902 to 1915, child labor committees emphasized reform through state legislatures. Many of these laws were passed, but several Southern states resisted, leading to the decision to work towards a federal child labor law.

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While Congress passed such laws in 1916 and 1918, the Supreme Court declared them unconstitutional.

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The supporters of child labor laws sought a constitutional amendment authorizing federal child labor legislation, which passed in 1924.

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Thanks to changing laws, children in the workforce started to decrease. Education underwent reforms, too, and the number of years of schooling required to hold certain jobs increased. The school year was also lengthened, and truancy laws became stricter.

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While child labor has significantly decreased in the US, it's still present in certain areas of the economy like agriculture, where migrant workers are more difficult to regulate. Looking at other parts of the world, child labor is still a global issue.

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About 160 million children around the world, ages five to 17, are engaged in child labor. This takes away their childhood and education while harming their mental and physical health.

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At the beginning of 2020, 63 million girls and 97 million boys were involved in child labor. That's about one in 10 kids worldwide.

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About 70% of these children, or 112 million, work in agriculture. It's mostly in farming and livestock herding.

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Child labor is more common among boys than girls. However, when household chores performed for at least 21 hours per week are taken into account, the gender gap in child labor narrows.

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Not only are children workers at risk of physical and mental harm, their education is also compromised. This in turn restricts their rights, and limits future opportunities, which leads to intergenerational poverty.

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It's estimated that 86.6 million children are engaged in child labor in sub-Saharan Africa, followed by central and southern Asia with 26.3 million.

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Child labor most often occurs when families face financial challenges. It can be due to poverty, sudden illness of a caregiver, or the job loss of a primary provider.

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To reverse the trend of child labor, the International Labour Organization and UNICEF have expressed important factors that governments need to implement.

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There needs to be adequate social protection for all, including universal child benefits.

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Governments need to increase spending on quality education, and get all children into school.

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Adults should be provided with decent work, so families don’t have to resort to children to generate family income.

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There needs to be an end to harmful gender norms and discrimination that influence child labor.

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Governments need to also invest in child protection systems, agricultural development, rural public services, as well as infrastructure and livelihoods.