Child Labor Reformers Organize
By the 1870s, lobbyists started proposing legislation to restrict child labor practices. In 1881, the American Federation of Labor (AFL) called for states to prohibit children under 14 from working. Grassroots reform groups organized across the country, combining their efforts to create the National Child Labor Committee (NCLC) in 1904. The group’s mission focused on “promoting the rights, awareness, dignity, well-being and education of children and youth as they relate to work and working.” The group investigated businesses using child labor, learning about working conditions and treatment of children in labor roles. They attempted to pass legislation and advocated for regulations to improve the lives of children enmeshed in trade from an early age to support their families. To help advocate for these new laws, they hired a photographer to show people what words couldn’t fully capture; the lives of the young workers.