Sunday, September 27, 2009

Child labor: 1819

The papers in Philadelphia, are crowded with essays in support of the system of encouraging our manufactures at home, and prohibiting by high duties the importation of manufactures from abroad...
It will furnish employment for many idle people in our seaport towns; and for many women and children in our cities who appear to want such a resource.
--From Analectic Magazine--

He's saying we should encourage factories, so children have somewhere to work!

I was always skeptical about claims child labor laws were just a scheme to provide more jobs for adults, but seeing how people thought before they wanted manufacturing jobs for themselves I guess I have to agree.

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