The Problem with Children

Living in the Tenements: Irish Children

The Gilded AgeBy Georgina Burros and Siena Fouse

The ProblemMany children:Left SchoolForced to work in dangerous conditionsSuccumbed to the environment for tenements

Gilded Age ID Card

Waking Up

Mary rises in the morning to prepare for factor work and attend to her siblings getting to school

Working in the Factory

Working for several hours a day 6 days a week Mary gains little pay for working in a hot unsafe environment as a child-risking constant death

Working overtime

Working outside of the factory to make enough food for dinner, Mary sews together newspapers in addition to working in the Beer Bottling Plant to afford bare necessities

Taking work home

Mary stops after work to pick up clothing from her mothers sweatshop

Working at Night

Mary goes home and continues her hard day’s night by sewing with her mom.

Sewing with Family

Mary and her siblings must help her mother sew and knit clothes for extra money.

Standing by the Sink

Mary cooks dinner for her family in the cramped tenement

Looking after Children

After her parents leave and abandon her for the night, she is left to care for her younger siblings.

Modern Day

Getting Ready for Class

Checking the Time

Walking to Class

Chatting With Friends

Working on the Computer

Texting in the Hallway