12.7 Child Labor Laws

Child Labor Laws

Necessity of Child Labor Laws

• To protect children from exploitation and dangerous working conditions.

Child Labor at the Turn of the Century (1900)

• Prevalence: Child labor was widespread in the United States due to the Industrial Revolution.
• Economic Factors: Children were seen as cheaper and more manageable labor.
  • They didn't organize or strike.
  • They could be threatened easily.
• Industries Employing Children:
  • Glass and textile factories
  • Canneries and mines
  • Newsboys, messengers, bootblacks, and peddlers

Working Conditions

• Age: Children as young as six years old worked in factories.
• Hours: Workdays were often 12-14 hours with minimal breaks.
• Safety: Conditions were dangerous with large, heavy machinery lacking safety features.
  • Children were required to crawl under or work on top of machines.
• Injuries: Common due to fatigue and dangerous conditions, leading to loss of fingers or arms.
• Lack of Concern: Factory owners often showed little concern for the well-being of child laborers.

Justifications for Child Labor

• Lewis W. Parker (Mill Owner):
  • Argued that child labor was essential for building industry.
  • Claimed adults from farms couldn't adapt to factory work, but children could learn quickly and support their families.
• Daniel A. Tompkins (Cotton Mill Owner):
  • Believed millwork was good for children.
  • Stated that overwork was less detrimental than indulgence.
• Charles Harding (Merchants Woolen Company):
  • Argued against too much education for working-class and immigrant children.
  • Believed excessive refinement spoiled them for labor.
• Overall Sentiment: Many factory owners felt they were doing children a favor by employing them.

Changing Attitudes and Initial Reforms

• Late 1800s: Shift in mood towards child labor.
• John Peter Altgeldt (Governor of Illinois, 1892):
  • Passed legislation to control child labor in Illinois.
  • Limited workday for women and children to eight hours.
• Florence Kelly:
  • Leading campaigner against child labor.
  • Hired as Illinois' first chief factory inspector with a staff of twelve.
• Repeal: The Illinois Association of Manufacturers repealed the law in 1895.

Rise of Muckrakers and Reform Organizations

• Journalists: Began writing articles exposing the treatment of child laborers.
• National Consumers League (NCL) (1899):
  • Established by Florence Kelly.
  • Aimed to achieve a minimum wage and limit working hours for women and children.
  • Kelly lectured and urged consumers to buy products with the white NCL label, indicating approval of labor practices.
• National Child Labor Committee (1904):
  • Formed to persuade Congress to regulate child labor.
  • Jane Adams (of Chicago's Hull House) reported in 1907 that over 2,000,000 children under 16 were employed.
  • Argued child labor deprived children of education, condemning them to illiteracy and poverty.

Documentation and Investigation

• Louis Hine (1908):
  • Employed by the NCL as a staff investigator and photographer.
  • Documented child labor conditions through photographs and lectures.
• Children's Bureau (1912):
  • Created by President William Taft to investigate and report on child welfare.
  • Conducted research into the dangers of child labor.
• Alice Hamilton:
  • Investigated industrial poisonous substances.
  • Found evidence that chemicals like lead, nitrous fumes, and viscose rayon caused mental illness, vision loss, and paralysis in children.

Legislative Attempts and Setbacks

• Keating-Owen Act (1916):
  • Forbade interstate transportation of goods from factories employing children under 14, mines employing children under 16, or factories with excessive working hours.
• Supreme Court Ruling (1918):
  • Struck down the Keating-Owen Act for interfering with interstate commerce.
• Second Child Labor Law:
  • Imposed a 10% tax on the net profit of factories employing children under 14 or mines employing children under 16.
• Supreme Court Ruling (1922):
  • Also struck down the Second Child Labor Law.

Progress and Eventual Success

• 1920: Child labor was reduced to half of what it was in 1910.
• Fair Labor Standards Act (1938):
  • Achieved through efforts of the National Child Labor Committee and the Children's Bureau, combined with the concept of free and compulsory education.

Louis Hine's Advocacy

• Used photography to raise awareness of child labor issues.
• Aimed to make the public so aware and tired of child labor that action would be taken.

Economic Exploitation

• Low Wages:
  • Mill workers: As little as 48¢ a day.
  • Seafood industry: As low as 5¢ a day.
  • Example: One boy earned 25¢ for filling five boxes in a day.
• Long Hours: 4 AM or 5 AM until 7 PM or 8 PM.
• Brutal Conditions: Children were dragged from their beds and dressed on the way to work.