Keating–Owen Act facts for kids
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| Other short titles | An act to prevent interstate commerce in the products of child labor, and for other purposes |
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| Nicknames | Wick's Bill |
| Enacted by | the 64th United States Congress |
| Effective | September 1, 1916 |
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| United States Supreme Court cases | |
| Hammer v. Dagenhart, 247 U.S. 251 (1918) in which the act was struck down by the Supreme Court on June 3, 1918. | |
The Keating–Owen Child Labor Act of 1916 was an important law in the United States. It was also known as Wick's Bill. This law aimed to stop child labor across the country. It tried to do this by banning the sale of goods made by children.
The law said that factories could not sell products if they used children under 14. Mines could not sell products if they used children younger than 16. Also, no facility could use children under 14 after 7:00 p.m. or before 6:00 a.m. They also could not work more than eight hours a day.
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What Was the Keating–Owen Act?
The Keating–Owen Act was a statute passed by the U.S. Congress. It was one of the first major attempts to control child labor at a national level. The law was based on the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution. This clause gives Congress the power to regulate trade between states.
Why Was This Law Needed?
In the early 1900s, many children worked in factories and mines. They often worked long hours in dangerous conditions. This was a big problem for their health and education. People and groups like the National Child Labor Committee (NCLC) wanted to change this. They worked hard to raise awareness about the issue.
How the Law Worked
The Act set up rules to make sure businesses followed the law. The U.S. Attorney General, the Secretary of Commerce, and the Secretary of Labor worked together. They created rules for businesses to follow.
The Secretary of Labor sent inspectors to check workplaces. These inspectors could visit factories and mines without warning. They had full access to check if children were working against the law. If a business broke the law, they could face fines or even imprisonment.
The Law's Short Life
The Keating–Owen Act was named after its sponsors, Edward Keating and Robert Latham Owen. President Woodrow Wilson strongly supported the bill. He signed it into law in 1916. The law officially began on September 1, 1917.
However, the law did not last long. Just nine months later, in June 1918, the Supreme Court of the United States made a big decision. In a case called Hammer v. Dagenhart, the Supreme Court ruled that the Keating–Owen Act was unconstitutional. This meant the Court decided that Congress did not have the power to pass such a law under the Commerce Clause.
This ruling was a setback for efforts to end child labor. It showed how difficult it was to create national laws on this issue at the time.
