Why was the concept of child labor prevalent in factories during the Industrial Revolution?

The prevalence of child labor during the Industrial Revolution can be attributed to the ability of factory owners to exploit children for cheaper wages. Children represented a significant source of labor that could be paid much less than adult workers. This economic advantage was further fueled by the high demand for labor in factories, which required a large workforce to meet production needs.

Additionally, children were often employed in roles that demanded long hours in precarious conditions, as they were deemed less capable of advocating for themselves. While children might not have been as efficient as adults in some cases, their low wages were a primary driver for their employment in factories. Thus, factory owners prioritized the cost efficiency that came with hiring children, overshadowing concerns about their well-being or the introduction of protective labor laws, which were not initially in place. The context of this era illustrates how economic factors overshadowed ethical considerations regarding child labor.