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"One of the supreme blunders of modern civilization is that practice ordinarily known as child labor. . . hundreds of thousands of children are at work every day in mines, factories and shops ground down into toil."   -Poet Carl Sandburg

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Sandburg worked as a child and understood the insider secrets of child labor. He watched as children and adults alike put themselves in harm's way every day just for money. The kids shown above worked in dangerous environments with exposed gears and machinery for up to 12 hours straight. Rather than risking their lives in unventilated factories, children joined the labor reform movement and took to the streets demanding education.

Jacobin

National Park Service

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"No man can be a good citizen unless he has a wage more than sufficient to cover the bare cost of living and hours of labor short enough so that after his day's work is done he will have time and energy to bear his share in the management of the community, to help in carry the general load."   -Former President Theodore Roosevelt

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The Seattle Union Record published the above cartoon in favor of the recent labor reform movement. It depicts the strong and large foot of organized labor headed towards progress while a small and 'shortsighted employer' attempts to hold it back. Former President Roosevelt agrees with the idea that labor unions are allowing workers to head into the future as he believes they must be paid sufficiently in order to participate in their ever-growing society.

Wikipedia

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"The very fact that women are paid less than men for the same work, and that their hours are longer, proves the necessity for protective legislation."                        - Social Reformer Florence Kelley                             

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Curt Muller, the owner of a laundry business, was fined $10 for overworking his female employess who were not supposed to work over 10 hours. The supreme court decided to uphold this law. This set an example for future labor regulations. The "Brandeis Breif" played an important role in this decision by discussing the important role of women in American society. The image above shows women working long hours in a factory.

Britanica

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"That for the purpose of securing proper enforcement of this Act the Secretary of Labor, or any person duly authorized by him, shall have authority to enter and inspect at any time mines, quarries, mills, canneries, workshops, factories, manufacturing establishments, and other places in which goods are produced or held for interstate commerce"-Keating-Owen Child Labor Act Sec. 3

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In 1916 the Progressive movement sought to address issues involving child labor. Because local factory rules were under state law, Congress decided to ban interstate commerce of goods produced by children under the age of 14. However, in 1917 the Supreme Court decided this law was unconstitutional. The image above shows a newspaper headline while congress was enacting this law. The quote above is from Section 3 of the Act stating that the Secretary of labor and whoever he sends will have the power to inspect these workplaces at any time.

Pettengill

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"The period from 1894 to 1915 was a period of change, unrest, and economic uncertainty for the workers of the United States. Industrialism was growing largely unchecked in the United States after the Civil War, creating new jobs and new problems simultaneously. Immigration was continuing in unprecedented numbers, especially from eastern and southern Europe, forever altering the makeup of the workforce. A depression had begun in 1893 (following two others in the previous twenty years), forcing some plants to close and many workers into the ranks of the unemployed."                                                                                     - Library of Congress

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As said by the Library of Congress, this period was a time of unrest, yet that did not hinder people from stepping up and giving their voice. In the picture, there is a whole lot going on. From the typical top hat Gilded Age man stooping over the large crowd of laborers, to the man picking up a rock, to the mother and her two children cast to the side, all parties were involved. This was a time of chaos but change as well. This large crowd embodies the true feeling everyone at the bottom of the social hierarchy was experiencing: resistance. This went hand-in-hand with fueling the labor reform movement.

Striking Scenes

America at Work

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"Time and again, whether his subject was a group of grimy child laborers at a coal mine or a woman in a canning factory, plain insistent human strength and dignity were powerfully evident in the eyes and in the carriage of the shoulders."                                                                              -New York Times writer Judith Mara Gutman

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Lewis Hine's photography powerfully visualized the immorality America was experiencing in the midst of a second industrial revolution: making the wealthy richer through the work of small, feeble hands. Years later in her 1983 newspaper, New York Times writer Gutman wrote about the issue, discussing how Hine's photography caught the inner strength a human can possess, even if it meant enduring endless, tiring hours as a young boy or girl. Even years later when child labor wasn't as prominent, it still existed in Gutman times and it still does today, emphasizing how despite progress in past decades, the degradation of morale is prominent when it comes to money.

Not for Kids: Little Workers in Lewis Hine’s Photographs

Lewis Hines Last Legacy

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"In May 1911 Wisconsin became the first state to establish a workmen's compensation system. Nine other states passed compensation laws that year, three in 1912, and eight more in 1913. By 1921, 46 jurisdictions had workmen's compensation laws in force." -US Department of Labor

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During the Progressive era, workmen's compensation laws became increasingly popular. These laws provided benefits to any workers who have been injured on their job regardless of who was at fault. The image above shows Wisconsin's Worker's Compensation Law, which was the first. The quote above explains the history of workers compensation laws.

USDepartmentofLabor

LaborHistory

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"One of the supreme blunders of modern civilization is that practice ordinarily known as child labor. . . hundreds of thousands of children are at work every day in mines, factories and shops ground down into toil."- Carl Sandburg

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Carl Sandburg was a poet and activist against child labor. The image above shows a poem he wrote in 1916 talking about children who are forced to work instead of living their childhood. The quote above is also from Carl Sandburg discussing his take on child labor.

NationalParkService

InternetPoem

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"Justice is never given; it is exacted and the struggle must be continuous for freedom is never a final fact, but a continuing evolving process to higher and higher levels of human, social, economic, political and religious relationship."                                                                                      -Labor unionist A. Philip Randolph

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Despite years of unrest between the black and white race, both the black and white man had come together in the Progressive Movement to fight against the unjust lifestyles they had both been forced to live as visualized in the picture. While both groups had their struggles, black people suffered lower wages and went through segregation and lynching, placing them even lower than the white man, yet that did not stop them from coming together and going past their race in their fight in the labor movement, emphasizing what the human capability can achieve through solidarity. As said by Randolph, the struggle to achieve justice must be continuous.

Hall of Honor Inductee: A. Philip Randolph

Black laborers in the Iron Industry

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Skills-Based

How did the labor reforms from the progressive era impact the workforce in today's society?

Inference

What were the main goals of the labor reform movement?

How did the Muller v. Oregon case influence labor reforms?

Factual

What was the greatest number of hours women were supposed to work?

What did Lewis Hine capture through his photography?