The correct answer is "Children performed physical labor for long hours each day".
With the incoming Industrial Revolution and the economic hardships brought to a majority of the population, child labour became extremely prominent. <u>Children from poor families had no choice but contributing financially to the subsistence of their households and give up their childhood</u>. In the early 1800s nearly two-thirds of factory workers in England and Scotland, were small children forced to do physical work for extended periods of time suffering inhuman conditions. On top of that, child wages were often between 10% to 20% of what an adult male would gain.
Even though some regulation of child labour was applied in the early 1800s, it still set a maxium of 12 hours per day for kids aged between 11 and 18, which is still outrageous. Arriving to the second half of the century, children under the age of 9 were no longer permitted to work<u>.</u> However, the real reason for the seizing of their exploitation, came about when advances in technology and automation made industries simply not need their work anymore. Also, compulsory schooling was pushed forward because of an increased need for educated employees that could operate more complex machinery.
Hope this helps!
