In 1900, the average family had an annual income of $3,000 (in today’s dollars). The family had no indoor plumbing, no phone, and no car. About half of all American children lived in poverty . Most teens did not attend school; instead, they labored in factories or fields.
What do kids do in the 1900s?
Since there was no TV or radio, kids had to entertain themselves. Singing around the piano or home organ was great fun. In the city, roller skating and cycling were favorite pastimes for boys and girls. You would feel safe to roam around in your neighborhood and even travel alone about the city.
What were the advantages of being a child around 1900?
Being a child in the 1900s was good because you got to spend a lot of time with your friends because technology wasn’t really invented then. It meant that you would socialize a lot which is good. In the 20th century, you would usually take a dose of cod liver oil each day.
What did children do in the 20th century?
Many children in cities and towns also worked: in mines, in factories, selling newspapers and food, and shining shoes . Concerns over child labor found support among the Progressives—the growing number of people who believed government should take an active role in solving social and economic problems of society.
What was life like for a child in the 1800?
Life in the 1800s
Before the Victorian era, children as young as 6 or 8 years old might work in a mill or factory, they might run errands and make deliveries for a store keeper, they may be apprenticed to a skilled craftsman or woman, or they could be hired out as a servant.
Why did kids work in the 1900?
The Industrial Revolution saw the rise of factories in need of workers. Children were ideal employees because they could be paid less , were often of smaller stature so could attend to more minute tasks and were less likely to organize and strike against their pitiable working conditions.
What did children do for fun in 1900?
In the early 1900s kids would make their own toys. Girls would make dolls , and boys would make slings to fire small stones. They also played with wooden tops, marbles, and dowels. ... Kids in the early 1900s played card games, board games, and singing games.
What does century of the child mean?
The general purpose of the project “The Century of the Child” is to analyse changes in childhood during the twentieth century . The project can be described as a critical evaluation of the vision of the twentieth century as the century of the child and all the measures that have been taken “in the name of the child”.
What is the turn of the 21st century?
“Turn of the century” commonly meant the transition from the 19th century to the 20th century ; however, as the generations living at the end of the 20th century survived into the 21st century, the specific number of the referenced century became necessary to avoid confusion.
What was the controversial argument made by Ellen Key in her book from 1900 titled The Century of the Child?
In 1900, Ellen Key wrote the international bestseller The Century of the Child. In this enormously influential book, she proposed that the world’s children should be the central work of society during the twentieth century.
What did kids in the 1800’s do for fun?
Chess, checkers, and backgammon have been pastimes for older children and adults for hundreds of years. In the 1800s, new board games became popular. They were designed to be played by the entire family.
What were Victorian children’s punishments?
Boys were usually caned on their backsides and girls were either beaten on their bare legs or across their hands . A pupil could receive a caning for a whole range of different reasons, including: rudeness, leaving a room without permission, laziness, not telling the truth and playing truant (missing school).
What was life like for a child in the workhouse?
However, most children in a workhouse were orphans . Everyone slept in large dormitories. It was common for girls to sleep four to a bed. Every day for three hours, children were expected to have lessons in reading, writing, arithmetic and Christian religion.
How long did children work in 1900?
In the early 1900s, children frequently worked in factories. Some children as young as 5 or 6 worked. Many children worked long shifts, sometimes up to 12 hours . They worked under horrible conditions: dangerous fumes, poisonous gases and chemicals, and deadly mechanized equipment.
How many children had factory jobs in the 1900?
The 1900 U.S. census (a count of the nation’s population and related statistics taken every ten years) showed that 1.75 million children (about 18.2 percent) aged ten to fifteen years old were working. Not included in the census were children younger than ten who held jobs in mills, in factories, and on the streets.
How were orphans treated in the 1900s?
In the early 1900s, orphans weren’t always defined as children without parents. ... Sometimes children sought out orphanages — some were called asylums back then — because the living conditions were better there than with their families. Unfortunately, orphanages were scarce and many children were left on their own.
