Final answer:
Child labor was common in history due to families needing their children's wages to survive, the efficiency of younger children in certain tasks, and the need to keep children occupied. It was driven by socioeconomic factors and the demand for cheap labor.
Step-by-step explanation:
Child labor was common in history due to several reasons:
- Families needed their child's wages to survive: In many industrialized societies, families were facing extreme poverty and relied on their children's income to support the family.
- Younger children could work faster: Children were often employed in industries that required small hands and nimble fingers, making them more efficient in certain tasks.
- Families needed to keep their children busy: With limited access to education or recreational opportunities, families often compelled their children to work to keep them occupied.
This practice was not driven by parents wanting to punish their children, but rather by socioeconomic factors and the demand for cheap labor during that time.
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