LAD 28: Keating-Owen Child Labor Act
What it is meant to address:
This Act was meant to address the horrible working conditions faced by many American children in the early twentieth century. It prohibited the sale of products made by children under the age of sixteen. The Act further regulated products made by children under fourteen years of age, or those who worked more than eight hours a day, or more than six days a week. The Child Labor Act was carefully enforced, and violators would be fined. Inspectors were assigned and given the ability to perform inspections of workplaces and the products they produced.
What happened to this well meaning law:
President Woodrow Wilson lobbied for this Act until it went into effect September 1, 1917. However, only nine months later the Hammer v. Dagenhart case the Keating-Owen Act was deemed unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. This is because the Act relied on the power of Congress to regulate interstate commerce, which was ruled unconstitutional.
The Tenement House Act of 1901 sparked serious investigations into already established tenement houses and made it exponentially harder to plan and construct new tenement homes. The horrible living conditions of tenement housing was exposed through photographs taken by muckrakers.
This Act was meant to address the horrible working conditions faced by many American children in the early twentieth century. It prohibited the sale of products made by children under the age of sixteen. The Act further regulated products made by children under fourteen years of age, or those who worked more than eight hours a day, or more than six days a week. The Child Labor Act was carefully enforced, and violators would be fined. Inspectors were assigned and given the ability to perform inspections of workplaces and the products they produced.
What happened to this well meaning law:
President Woodrow Wilson lobbied for this Act until it went into effect September 1, 1917. However, only nine months later the Hammer v. Dagenhart case the Keating-Owen Act was deemed unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. This is because the Act relied on the power of Congress to regulate interstate commerce, which was ruled unconstitutional.
Protests against the use of child labor eventually led to the passing of the Keating-Owen Act |
Overcrowded Tenement Housing and Horrible Living Conditions |
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