Final answer:
Businesses hired children for cheap labor during times of economic hardship.
Explanation:
Businesses hired children primarily to pay them less than adults, exploiting their labor due to economic struggles faced by families in the past. This practice enabled companies to save on costs while employing vulnerable young workers in factories, mines, and sweatshops. Children as young as ten were often engaged in dangerous tasks for meager wages, reflecting a dark aspect of industrial history.
Learn more about Child Labor in Industrial America here:
https://brainly.com/question/42287454
