The movement I chose was The Children’s Rights Movement. During the late nineteenth century, many children worked dangerous jobs. They worked in factories and on the street. Some children were as young as five years old. They were mistreated, underpaid and overworked in terrible conditions.
Many of these children were not educated. They either went to school and had no money or food, or worked in terrible conditions with little pay. Many of these machines they worked with were really dangerous. Many children were injured. If a child was injured, the boss just simply replaced them. Small children should not be working at these jobs. Some small children, some as young as five years old, worked on the street selling newspapers.
There were few people who tried to do something about this. Mother Jones was the leader of the Children’s Rights Movement. She hated the way the children were treated, and wanted to do something to stop it. Mother Jones marched with many children from Philadelphia to
New York. Also, Jacob Riis helped with this movement. He took pictures of the children, so he had proof that this was really happening to innocent children. A lot of people didn’t believe that this was happening.
Many of the children went on strikes to earn their civil rights. They fought to go to school and have more time to play. They wrote to the President and wanted the government to pass laws protecting children. These laws were very hard to force. In 1912, workers at a Lawrenceville,
Massachusetts mill went on strike. They shouted “We want bread and roses too!”. This strike lasted for months. Congress investigated, and learned about all for the horrible conditions these children worked in. President Taft forced factory owners to raise salaries and pay overtime. This was a big accomplishment for the workers.
These children went through a lot while working these jobs. Things have gotten a lot better since them. Many people cared for these children, and tried to help them. The laws that were enforced were a big accomplishment and helped these children a lot. This movement was really important. It showed how children struggled working these jobs. I feel grateful that these things don’t happen now.
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