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Entries by Reid Maki
Progress in Two Areas
The ILO reports that in the four-year period ending in 2008, the number of child laborers among 5- to 14-year-olds fell 10 percent and the number children in hazardous work fell 31 percent.
1892: Child Labor Plank Adopted by Democratic Party
The Democratic Party adopts a plank in their platform, which recommends banning factory employment for children under age 15.
1899: National Consumer’s League’s “White Label” Campaign
The National Consumers’ League under the leadership of Florence Kelley launches its “white label” campaign in the women’s garment industry. The white label certified that goods were produced following minimum fair labor standards and were free of child labor.
1901: Juvenile Protective Association Founded
Jane Addams founds the Juvenile Protective Association to advocate against racism, child labor, exploitation, child abuse, and child prostitution in Chicago and their effects on child development.
1903: Mother Jones Leads “Children’s Crusade”
Mother Jones organizes working children in the “Children’s Crusade,” a march from Pennsylvania to the home of President Theodore Roosevelt in New York with banners demanding “we want time to play” and “we want to go to school.” Though the President refuses to meet with the marchers, the incident brings the issue of child labor to the forefront of the public agenda.
1904: National Child Labor Committee Formed
The National Child Labor Committee is formed with the goal of abolishing all child labor.
1908: Muller v. Oregon
In the case of Muller v. Oregon the U.S. Supreme Court upholds the right of states to limit the number of hours women could work in certain industries. Louis Brandeis argues the case on behalf of the National Consumers’ League, and it sets a legal precedent whereby child labor laws could be instituted.
1912: Children’s Bureau Founded
The U.S. Children’s Bureau is founded with Julia Lathrop as its first head. The organization is poised to monitor the situation of children at home and at work.
1916: Keating-Owen Act
Congress passes the Keating-Owen Act, which bans the interstate sale of any article produced with child labor (factory, cannery, and mine) and regulates the number of hours a child could work. The Act was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court two years later.