The photographs of Louis Hine succeeded in publicizing and proving what many Americans refused to believe: that numerous American children were being cruelly exploited. What finally slowed the widespread use of children as laborers, however, was the Great Depression of the 1930s. Sentiment against the use of child laborers had grown in the years preceding the Great Depression. With the economic catastrophe of the 1930s, however, many adults found themselves unemployed and struggling to find work. These adults wanted for themselves the jobs that traditionally had been held by children. Sadly, this more than any other reason may have turned the tide on using children as cheap labor in the United States. a] The financial struggles brought about by the Great Depression in the 1930s contributed to ending child labor.

b] Louis Hine’s photographs publicized the cruelty experienced by many American children who were forced to work.

c] It took many years before adults in America developed child labor laws that keep children safe in a work environment.