What was the child labor reform movement?

From 1902 to 1915, child labor committees emphasized reform through state legislatures. Many laws restricting child labor were passed as part of the progressive reform movement of this period. But many southern states resisted, leading to the decision to work for a federal child labor law.

What did the child labor movement do?

As progressive child labor reformers gained traction during the last quarter of the 19th century, efforts expanded at the state level to outlaw the employment of small children. The move toward state-level reforms proved challenging.

How did the US stop child labor?

The National Child Labor Committee’s work to end child labor was combined with efforts to provide free, compulsory education for all children, and culminated in the passage of the Fair Labor Standards Act in 1938, which set federal standards for child labor.

How did the progressive movement seek to reform child labor?

Reform Effects They met with some success on the state levels, as states passed stricter laws that limited the amount of hours that a child could work, set minimum working ages, and also passed compulsory education laws that required children to be in school.

Who led the child labor movement?

In 1883, Samuel Gompers led the New York labor movement to successfully sponsor legislation prohibiting cigar-making in tenements, where thousands of young children worked in the trade. The first organizational efforts to establish a national child labor reform organization began in the South.

What did kids do during the Progressive Era?

At the end of the nineteenth century, however, children made up part of the country’s workforce, and labored on farms and in factories. When they were not working, they enjoyed great independence in leisure activities—be it in a loud city street or a peaceful country lake.

How much did children make in the Progressive Era?

Not only were children beginning to work at a very young age, but they worked long hours, under dangerous conditions, for very little pay. The average child laborer toiled (worked) for 60+ hours a week, earning on average $4 a week in the early 1900s.

Why is child Labour a bad thing?

All over the world, children are being exploited through child labour. This mentally and physically dangerous work interferes with schooling and long-term development—the worst forms include slavery, trafficking, sexual exploitation and hazardous work that put children at risk of death, injury or disease.

How did child labor impact or change society?

Children who are not allowed to work tend to succeed at school and have more time for proper development, as well as better health, social skills, and stronger future earning power. Child labor laws also impact the economy of a country. With the child labor laws in place, “ sweatshop ” style jobs significantly decrease.

What was the Child Labor Reform Act?

Child Labor Laws in America for kids: Progressive Reforms. The 1916 Keating-Owen Child Labor Act was a federal law passed limiting how many hours children were allowed to work, prohibiting the employment of children under the age of fourteen in factories producing goods for interstate commerce.

What are the child labor laws in the Progressive Era?

Summary and Definition: The 1916 Keating-Owen Child Labor Act was a federal law passed during the era of the Progressive Movement that restricted how many hours children were allowed to work by prohibiting the employment of children under the age of fourteen in factories producing goods for interstate commerce.

What is child labor like in the US?

Child Labor in the United States. Estimates by the Association of Farmworker Opportunity programs, based on figures gathered by the Department of Labor, suggest that there are approximately 500,000 child farmworkers in the United States. Many of these children start working as young as age 8, and 72-hour work weeks (more than 10 hours per day)…