According to the 1900 U.S. census, one in every six children were employed in the labour sector that ranged from coal mining to operating machinery in spinning mills. Children from even as young as five were subject to harsh working conditions, grueling long hours, and paid below the minimum wage. In 1903, the New York Child Labour Committee was founded, marking a turning point in american history as it set the stage for the establishment of the National Child Labour Committee in 1904, that has paved the way for crucial reform in the child labour movement.