Florence Kelley delivered a speech to the North American Woman Suffrage Association on July 22, 1905. During this time period, woman strived for enfranchisement since they had very few rights, especially the right to vote. Without the right to vote they could not help their children at the time who were being treated inhumanely. These children had varying ages from 6 to 16 and they were working for 12 hours or even more. Without child labor laws this was going on in the states without much opposition other than the children’s mothers. In her speech, Kelley pushed for women’s rights in order to gain political power to change child labor laws.
Kelley’s first word of her speech is “We.” The significance of this word shows how Kelly wants her audience …show more content…
States dictated what the restrictions and allowances of child labor. Some states are more appreciative of the child worker, such as Alabama. Alabama has a law that prohibits children under the age of 16 should not work in a mill at night for more than eight hours. Kelley is appreciative that the children have at least something that she praised Alabama saying: “Alabama does better in that respect [The 8 hour law] than any other state.” This law is very good for the children, but in the bigger picture of the problem of child labor this is a very small stepping stone, but that is the most allowance any child workers have in any states. Knowing this creates an idea of how horrendous and disturbing it was for the children who worked all day and night. Even for the mothers it was shocking knowing they can rarely see their children except for those lucky enough to live in Alabama who got a few extra hours at night. Kelley mentions Alabama being directly better than New Jersey which brings her to her next shameful point. A year before her speech New Jersey had a law which required children and women to stop work at 6 in the evening and noon on Fridays. This was by far the best state for women and children, but of course it was repealed which showed how much respect the states hard for the workers. Nothing compares to Pennsylvania, lawfully letting children work twelve hours at night. Anyone would say that is absurd for even an adult male to work let alone
Kelley’s first word of her speech is “We.” The significance of this word shows how Kelly wants her audience …show more content…
States dictated what the restrictions and allowances of child labor. Some states are more appreciative of the child worker, such as Alabama. Alabama has a law that prohibits children under the age of 16 should not work in a mill at night for more than eight hours. Kelley is appreciative that the children have at least something that she praised Alabama saying: “Alabama does better in that respect [The 8 hour law] than any other state.” This law is very good for the children, but in the bigger picture of the problem of child labor this is a very small stepping stone, but that is the most allowance any child workers have in any states. Knowing this creates an idea of how horrendous and disturbing it was for the children who worked all day and night. Even for the mothers it was shocking knowing they can rarely see their children except for those lucky enough to live in Alabama who got a few extra hours at night. Kelley mentions Alabama being directly better than New Jersey which brings her to her next shameful point. A year before her speech New Jersey had a law which required children and women to stop work at 6 in the evening and noon on Fridays. This was by far the best state for women and children, but of course it was repealed which showed how much respect the states hard for the workers. Nothing compares to Pennsylvania, lawfully letting children work twelve hours at night. Anyone would say that is absurd for even an adult male to work let alone