The time between the late 16th century and the beginning of the 18th century is termed as the Puritan Age. That time period was rigidly strict with discipline, religious obedience, and extreme hard work. Child labour became a very important issue during this age. Children were pushed to become workers to help their families economically and to master different skills.
Evolution of Child Labour in European History
For a long time in the human history, child labour or the usage of children as labours was practiced. When the Europeans were desperate regarding works, an effort to limit the participation of children as laborers along with improving the quality of lives was seen. But due to the factors like poverty and insecurity, the children were a very lucrative option to hire as over-time workers expending just a penny. That’s why this was very common in that age. The incumbents of religious and social institutions used to believe that working is better than procrastinating, which was applicable for children too. Slowly child-labour became irreplaceable in European agriculture and handicraft sectors of the economy, during the first half of the 18th century.
Child Labor in the Puritan Era: A Grim Reality
During the Puritan age, the practice of child labor was viewed as a means to improve children overall. Families were indoctrinated to believe that idle children would waste their time in lazy play. In the midst of contemporary economic turmoil, children were compelled to work as laborers. In some cases, children as young as 4 to 7 years old were sold by their parents to others to generate income. Buyers would often shave their heads and dress them in black attire. In various European countries, especially in England, children were assigned the dangerous task of cleaning chimneys, resulting in tragic deaths due to harmful smoke exposure and accidents caused by fires being lit without checking for child laborers inside.
Despite the harsh conditions and risks involved, these atrocities were normalized during that time. Child laborers were tasked with a range of work, from producing items and handicrafts to agricultural tasks, and were even employed in mills during the European industrial revolution. Not only were these children deprived of their childhood, but they were also often inadequately provided for in terms of food and basic needs.
The prevalence of child labor during the Puritan age cannot be solely attributed to poverty; strict religious beliefs and socio-political factors also played significant roles in perpetuating this exploitative practice.
William Blake’s Advocacy Against Child Labor
Acknowledging the harsh realities of children’s lives during that era, certain European poets and intellectuals raised their voices in protest. One notable figure was the renowned British Romantic poet William Blake, who addressed the plight of impoverished children in his works “Songs of Innocence” and “Songs of Experience,” which included two poems titled “The Chimney Sweeper.”
In these poems, Blake shed light on the suffering and exploitation faced by child chimney sweeps, reflecting the social injustices of the time. Through his poignant verses, Blake aimed to evoke empathy and provoke contemplation on the moral and ethical implications of child labor and the deplorable conditions in which these young individuals were forced to work.
