LAD #29: Keating-Owen Child Labor Act

In 1900, there were about 2 million children working as child laborers. This statistic was eye opening to the citizens of the country and to the government as well, as changes were needed. The first of these changes came in the form of the Keating-Owen Child Labor Act of 1916. This act prohibited the factories or stores or companies that employed child laborers under age 14 from selling their product, or people from buying the products (other age and specifics were included here). This act regulated how long children age 16 could work and aimed to end child labor of children of young ages. However, this law was ruled unconstitutional in the case Hammer v Dagenhart 247 U.S. 251 (1918). But another act was passed after this to ensure child labor would be avoided in the same year.