UNI1 READING 4 "The Eye of Conscience"

"The Eye of Conscience"

This social studies article tells about Lewis W. Hine. He was an American photographer who risked his life to expose poverty and harsh working conditions in the early 1900s. At that time, over 1.7 million children of the poor were working in fields, factories, coal mines, and cotton mills under horrible conditions. The

work was difficult and dangerous, and the children worked long hours for very

little pay. Hine traveled all over America, taking over 5,000 pictures of child workers. His photographs shocked the nation and led the government to pass laws that would protect children and help the poor.

Key Words:

• conditions: the situation in which people

• equipment: the things that you need for a

particular activity

• immigrants: people from another country

who come to your country to live

• industrial: relating to industry

• inhumanity: cruel behavior or acts of extreme cruelty

• miserable: very unhappy or uncomfortable

Academic Words:

• dramatic = exciting and impressive 

➡ His photographs had a dramatic impact
on society.

• expose = give people information that

was previously hidden 
➡ They wanted to expose the thief by publishing photos of him stealing.

• labor = work, especially work using much

physical or mental effort 
➡The children had to do ten hours of hard labor in the fields each day in order to make enough money for their dinner.

• welfare = health, comfort, and happiness

 ➡ A government should be concerned about the welfare of its citizens.