Child Labor in Minas Gerais in the First Half of the 19th Century

Abstract

Since colonial Brazil to the nineteenth century the children began to be included early in the world of labour, independently of their social condition and sex. This article de analyzes the child labour in Minas Gerais in the first half of the nineteenth century. White, freemen and slaves children worked mainly in the domestic weaving and in the agricultural labour, but there were also students. In the range of 11-12 years old around 30% of the children involved in labour, and in 13-14 years old more than 40%.