Industrialization was one of the causes of child labor in America. Poverty and machines created the need for children to work as employers were looking for cheap labor to maximize their profits. However, it was the same industrialization that helped reduce child labor. For example, in the US mechanical pickers substituted the infamous “breaker boys” in the coal mines and vending boxes replaced newspaper boys. 

Other reasons for child labor were poverty, illiterate parents, no education, social apathy and exploitation of unorganized labor. Even traditional practices were encouraged by families. So, children did not learn anything else other than the craft taught and practiced at home.

Children were seen as a means of contributing to the family income by helping in the family farm or working in factories and other places. Also, many children who worked belonged to poor families and did not get the opportunity to study and educate themselves. Parents often expected children to help reduce the family's poverty. While employers saw children as obedient workers who would work for pittance.

Even parents' unemployment was a factor that caused child labor. When a parent, especially the father, was unemployed, the onus to support the family often fell on the children. The fact remains that children could get jobs easily because they were willing to work long hours for less pay compared to adults.

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