At the American Humane Association Convention on November 14th of 1906, Jane Addams gave a speech arguing that child labor is the greatest social issue of the time. Miss Jane Addams presented “Child Labor and Other Dangers of Childhood“, which she wrote herself this article consisted of her opinion on child labor, including examples she has seen and reasons on how labor negatively affects children. The American Humane Association focuses on the topics of children and animals. Individuals interested in the protection of these topics were allowed to attend the American Humane Association conventions and meetings, according to the New York Daily Tribune. Within her presentation, Jane Addams stated, “It is always difficult to see the moral dangers which threatened our generation, and to awaken the public interest in them

sufficiently to accomplish their removal,” as she emphasized the importance of the underlying issue of child endangerment. Beginning to touch on the topic, Addams explains how it is society’s job to protect children through the process of discovery, investigation, and mediating and helping. Society soon began to push this issue backwards and use children for labor by the age of twelve.

Having children so young work so intensely for so long, caused developmental issues for these children according to Jane Addams. Often children would work full days and lack the time necessary to complete their education; other times, children would work half day and be in school the other half. Addams made points that children who attend a full day of school develop further as they have the opportunity to play and develop their mind and bodies. Being forced into work so prematurely deprives the child’s ability to do such things. Physical strain, starvation, and lack of sleep often occurred in full-time working children and most were found to be abnormal.

As her speech continued, Addams gave an example a boy’s situation while she worked in the Hull House. This twelve year old boy was the man of his family. he worked full time to provide for his mother and his grandmother by bringing home weekly wages.  After turning eighteen, this boy got mixed up in the wrong crowd and eventually broke; the boy had bottled up all of the pain, work, and weight that he had carried the past six years. He was unable to develop naturally because he was forced to grow up so fast.

Child labor often seems cheap and easy, but in reality it is seen as child cruelty as it drains the children physically and mentally. Owners of the business often see the situation in a light that makes them seem like a good guy. Addams explains one story of a girl who worked all day and slept in the factory as the workers rotated shifts. The manager viewed this as him helping by allowing them to rest, but virtually, he was endangering their wellbeing. Child labor can be viewed as child cruelty in many cases.

This paper by Jane Addams touches on the wellbeing of children and their treatment. It was written to inform and explain how these situations happen in real life. Being given at the American Humane Association Convention allowed Addams to reach an audience that shared the interest and compassion for helping protect children. 1906 was a progressive year for child labor and child abuse as the Children’s Prevention Society was formed and other groups brought the issue to attention. Child abuse has been a social issue for all of time and Jane Addams was one women who took a stand for the treatment of children.