Child Labor Movement in US: Initiation, Leaders, and Social Impact

This essay provides a comprehensive overview of the child labor movement in the United States, tracing its origins in the 18th and 19th centuries. It examines the conditions that led to the exploitation of child labor, the key issues and demands of the movement, and the actions taken by various groups and individuals to bring about reform. The essay highlights the roles of early leaders, the impact of testimonies like that of Camella Teoli, and the legal and social changes that resulted, including the Fair Labor Standards Act. It also discusses the changes in societal views, the evolution of the social welfare system, and the role of social workers in the movement. The essay concludes with a reflection on the author's reasons for choosing this topic and the insights gained from the research.

SOCIAL
MOVEMENT PAPER

MAIN BODY
Question 1: Initiation of the movement
In the beginning of 1700 and 1800 century, the power driven machinery was replaced by
labor for manufacturing of most of the items. In this, many of the workers were under the age of
16 years. By the mid of 1800 century, child labor became a major problem in US. Many children
began to work before the age of 7 years to earn a dollar they used to work for 50-70hours per
week. Britain was the first nation to pass a law to regulate child labor. In US, law to regulate
child labor was imposed in 1899 by the end of 18th century.
The reform movement was started by Camella, a 14 year old children who gave
testimony to congress in March 1912. Camella was a worker in American Woolen Company in
Lawrence, MA and women and children used to work 54 hours per week. In the protest over
faster rate of production and proportionate reduction in pay, mill workers including children and
women went on strike.
The US congress has passed two laws in this regard in 1918 and 1922 but both of them
were declared unconstitutional by the US Supreme Court (Anderson, 2018). In 1942, the
congress again proposed a constitutional amendment for prohibition of child labor but same was
not rectified by the state. In 1938, an act was passed by congress in the name of Fair labor
Stander Act which stated that minimum age for work during school hours is set to be 16 years
and to get indulged in a dangerous work, it was set as 18 years and 14 for certain job to be done
after school hours.
Question 2: Initial leaders and the way they involved in the movement
With starting of 18th century child labor was at boom and every factory was engaged in
this act. With this, people and social leader got aware about the worst condition of the children at
workplace. The fact were recognized that children were deprived from their basic rights of
education and freedom to play. The involvement of people started back in 1832 and Child labor
was condemned by The New England Association of Farmers, Mechanics and Other
Workingmen officially. Farmers took initiative to abandon child labor they and reason behind
this was the working condition of children in the factories in neighborhood. In 1836 child labor
law was created in Massachusetts by Pennsylvania Senate which states that factory children
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under 15 years shall go to school a minimum of 3 months per year. This initiative was taken by
court to make the condition of the children under employment little better.
The Working Men’s Party lead by Philip Van Patten proposed that employment of
children younger than 14 years must be prohibited. This party got involved in this movement to
gain recognition around US as child labor was considered as worst and this was a good initiative
to make a position of the party.
In 1883, The New York labor movement, under the leadership of Samuel Gompers,
attempts to end child labor in the cigar industry by successfully sponsoring legislation that bans
production in tenements, where many of young children work in the trade. The initiative was
taken to stop child labor in factories involved toxic substances as children were getting used to
tobacco and other narcotics. In 1899 – The National Consumers’ League under the leadership of
Florence Kelley launches its “white label” campaign in the women’s garment industry.
In 1903 Mother Jones organizes working children in the “Children’s Crusade,” a march
in New York with banners demanding “we want time to play” and “we want to go to school.” All
these efforts lead to formation of act in future and child labor was abolished after world war II.
Question 3: Major issues and demands of the movement
Issue: The major issues that were represented in this movement was a permanent and
precise regulation to abolish child labor. Their laws were framed with time to time but they did
not have authenticity by the Supreme Court (Beverly, 1995). With development and progress in
the movement, it was found that somewhere or another, congress and other parties were not
getting support for upper class and supreme court, the uppers class in the industry were of the
views that if child labor was banned that would become bankrupt as all their factories and bills
were run by child laborers. Supreme Court was not supporting the movement by not giving acts
made by congress and other party’s authenticity in the law. With not getting the law and
regulation established, movement got prolonged and stretched.
Demand: Demands which were presented in this movement were to reduce child labor
hours, reduction in per week working hours, increase in wages, later on issues changed to
increase age of children to do work and after that a bar on child labor was demanded. The
demands were also made that children cannot be deprived from their basic right of education and
for this, reduction in working time was necessary. The poor labor class were becoming poorer
and demand was kept that higher wages must be paid to them. They must be involved in Union
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organization for protection of their interest (Hilliard, 2010). Technical and skill development of
laborer class was also demanded by the protesters in order to make them more presentable for
large organizations.
Question 4: Actions taken in the movement to get involvement of notice of public
The major action i in this movement was taken as congress getting the testimony of
Camella Teoli a 14 year old labor working in textile Mill in Lawrence (U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics, 2017). She shared her horrible stories about how children were treated in the mills and
business organization and the way they were not allowed to leave city and move to New York or
other places where they could lead a better life. All this was done as a public meeting and wife of
president was also present there. Upon hearing the condition of children as laborer, she was
jolted and then again a massive movement started in US to protest against child labor.
Question 5: Changes in the society and social welfare system
Change in society: With the beginning of 1900 century, many laws were formed but
were not constitutionality by Supreme Court but then also, people in the society changed their
views on child labor from beneficent social custom to an unrighteous and harmful effect of
industrial market economy to the child community (Cook, 1995). With formation of reform of
the child labor movement, it was that active participation of families and children was taken in
strikes in order to abandon child labor.
With abolition of child labor, a new development in the society was seen as easy
availability of employments for adults and children getting education so economy of the nation
experienced a balance. There was huge reduction in unemployment rate and also, an increment
in education graphs was seen.
Social welfare system:
The impact on social welfare was immense as with abolition of child labor in US,
reform and movement were started for betterment of working condition of working class. The
employers were forced to provide better working conditions and to treat them with respect and
equality. With evolution of the movement and reform movement in US against child labor,
Federal child labor law (FLAS) was initiated with getting a constitutional legitimacy. This was
made by the federal government and department of labor of US. With this, they got recognition
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and importance. The social system was improved with phenomenal change in condition of
children and their families effective after World War II.
Question 6: Role of the social work professional or individual social worker in movement
The movement against child labor continued for a period of 180 years that is not small
period it took almost two decades to abolish child labor in the US. With formation of the FLSA a
limit on the child labor was put but with outburst of World War II it again got worse but it was
considered as a war phenomenon by the President Roosevelt.
The individual farmers came forward and made an association to abandon child labor in
1832. In 1836 the national traders' union convection was formed and it was the first body
calling for setting up minimum age for factory workers (Jariego, 2017). A prohibition party was
formed in 1872 for which initiation was taken by individual protesters. Lewis W. Hine was the
greatest publicist of the national child labor committees which was formed in 1904. He was a
teacher by profession and left that for the betterment of children.
The testimony in public by Camella in 1912 for congress in front of president's wife
was a mile stone in the reform movement. The president of US Franklin D. Roosevelt sought a
new deal to prevent extreme child labor. An act in e name of Walsh and Healey was formed in
1937. It was proposed that US government will not purchase anything which was made by
underaged children.
Question 7: Reason for choosing this movement and personal reflection
Reason: Main reason behind choosing this movement as a topic of this essay is that child
labor was the major issue back in 1700 and 1800 centuries across world. The law in various
countries was established by mid-18th century but it took US a long time to pass a law to regulate
child labor in US though it was major issue back in that time. The movement began in 1832 but
also, it took almost a century to pass a law to regulate and abolish child labor in US. Therefore,
to gain an insight and determination of problems were faced at that time bringing the regulation
and law for child labor was essential.. This movement continued for a long time so that detailed
and descriptive report can be presented as material is available easily.
Personal reflection: With preparation of this report, the first thing I got to know how to
present a report with evaluating the development and evolution of a movement.. With
presentation of report on abolition and making of law to regulate child labor in the US, it was
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analyzed by me that movement never got to rest and there were major activities carried out by
the leaders and protesters on s regular intervals in time frame of 180 years. . I have gained a
detailed knowledge about how a movement flows and also, that a change in the history is not
made by a single effort it needs attempt from many and changes are not made in fortnights they
take time.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Anderson, E. (2018). Policy entrepreneurs and the origins of the regulatory welfare state: Child
labor reform in nineteenth-century Europe. American Sociological Review 83(1), 173-
211. doi: 10.1177/0003122417753112
Beverly, S. (1995). The dilemma in saving children from child labor: Reform and casework at
odds with families’ needs (190-1938). Child Welfare, 74(1), 33-55.
Cook, J. F. (1995). A history of placing-out: The orphan trains. Child Welfare. 74(1). 181-97.
Hilliard, N. (2010). The world of child labor: An historical and regional survey. Children &
Society, 24(4), 354-355. doi: 10.1111/j.1099-0860.2010.00303.x
Jariego, I. M. (2017). “But we want to work”: The movement of child workers in Peru and the
actions for reducing child labor. American Journal of Psychology. 60(3-4). 430-438.
doi: 10.1002/ajcp.12180.
Online
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2017). History of child labor in the United States – part 2: the
reform movement. Washington, DC: U.S. DOL. Retrieved from
<https://www.bls.gov/opu b/mlr/2017/article/history-of-child-labor-in-the-
united-states-part-2-the-reform-movement.htm:.
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