Analytical #1

Labor is the work one puts forth in order to support themselves and/or their family. There are many different problems occurring today with labor such as, child labor, labor wages, and the strength of labor unions. These problems all correlate with each other and are directly related to one another. If labor wages decrease, then child labor increases so that families have enough money to live and labor unions strength rises as people are upset that they are not being paid enough money. All three of these topics are widely debated and have a humongous affect on our country.
During the industrial revolution, there were no laws against child labor and how old one must be to work. During this time, one in every three American factory workers was between the ages of seven and twelve. These kids worked hard ten to twelve hour days, in very dirty and dangerous conditions causing many kids to get sick and die at young ages. Not until 1916 did congress do anything to try and stop such young kids from working, by putting a thirty day suspension on goods that were manufactured by children, making the manufacturers wait thirty days to transport their goods. In 1924, the child labor amendment was made by Congress and in the next few years 28 states ratified it. This amendment said, "The Congress shall have power to limit, regulate, and prohibit the labor of persons under 18 years of age. This amendment changed child labor forever and helped child labor come to an end.
In the mid to late 1800’s and early 1900’s labor unions were very powerful. In 1886, Samuel Gompers established the AFL, American Federation of Labor, which became the largest and most important organization of its kind the country had ever seen. The AFL did things such as helping people receive better wages. Many people joined labor unions to grow strong and get the wages that were rightfully theirs. Another Labor group like the AFL, Knights of Labor, was very productive and successful gaining more than 750,000 members. After the Haymarket square riot, the Knights of Labor was badly injured as some members were directly responsible for the death of police officers trying to break up the riot. The Knights of Labor eventually merged with the AFL and continued to help millions of people in the United States.
Labor wages was a very important topic in the 19th and 20th century and continues to be today. In the 1800’s one of the biggest wage issues was determining whether or not people should be paid determining on the amount of work they do, or the amount of time they work. These questions were raised time and time again and the end result was that the employer would choose. Minimum wage has always been changing and is different in every state. There was no minimum wage until 1938, so employers could choose how much they wanted to pay their employees even if the amount was very unfair. Labor unions would then come in and help people fight for the wages they deserved.
Labor work is demanding but yet very satisfactory when finished. Child Labor, Labor unions, and labor wages have been and will always be critical issues. These issues are a humongous part of our economy and will always be. When the day comes that figure out how to balance of wages, end child labor and make labor wages fair for all, our economy will skyrocket and never look back.