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Note: Photos on this page are from the Library of Congress. Metal Trades work—especially in the U.S. shipbuilding industry—was brutal and hazardous. In the early years of the 20th Century, the U.S. shipbuilding industry was a key factor in America's industrial and military strength. The last two photos in this series include two pre-teen workers—a sight that was all too commonplace until the nation recovered from the Great Depression.