Factory owners began to hire children during the industrial revolution because the young worked fewer hours than adults. worked harder than adults. were a source of cheap labor. were a source of skilled labor.

The appropriate answer is c. They were a source of cheap labour. Children were seen as a source of cheap labour because they could be paid next to nothing without complaint and they would be easier to manage than adults. Children would not have aquired specific skills necessary to carry out specialized tasks. Adults were always hired for these purposes. Children one the other hand could do manual labour that did not require a special set of skills. Children in this era were easy targets for child labour as their families were often impoverished and would have welcomed the extra income.