The Debate Over Child Labor

CHILD LABOR: Debated

The Keating-Owen act passed by congress in 1916 was intended to reduce child labor during the Industrial revolution. This was a result of an ongoing debate about child labor use in the nation. The act enabled Congress to reserve the right to regulate interstate trade that involved child labor, making it illegal to trade goods that were manufactured by children. The Hammer vs. Dagenhart (1918) case was a debate against the Keating-Owen act and challenged the right to ban child labor. The result of this debate changed the way Americans viewed the immorality of child labor, regulating it enough so that it was no longer harmful.