In the sweltering summer of 1921, Wilmington, Delaware, was a city in crisis. The streets were lined with the faces of the desperate, their eyes pleading for a chance to escape the poverty that had gripped their lives. For the children of Wilmington, the struggle was all too real. According to Charles H. Hagner, the heart of the Labor Commission of Delaware, the city’s business depression and harsh labor conditions had forced many families to push their children into the workforce. ‘In many instances,’ Hagner revealed, ‘the parent is unable to secure employment, and as a last resort, the child is pushed forward to earn a small pittance for the family.’
The statistics were staggering. In the corresponding period of 1920, over 1,200 juvenile workers toiled in the city’s factories and workshops. But this year, that number had dwindled to a mere 600. The cause was not just the economic downturn, but also the tireless efforts of the Conservation of Child Life Campaign and the Child Welfare Centers, which had been established in many communities across the city.
One heart-wrenching example of the desperation that drove these children into the workforce was that of a Polish family, deeply in debt to the tune of $50 for bread alone. ‘There are many such cases,’ Hagner lamented, ‘and it is because of conditions like this that the child is forced to find employment.’
The struggle was far from over, however. As Hagner pointed out, the root causes of the problem – poverty, unemployment, and poor labor conditions – remained unchecked. The city’s children continued to toil in factories and workshops, their lives forever changed by the harsh realities of the adult world.
Despite the progress made, the campaign to end child labor in Delaware was far from won. The fight would continue, fueled by the determination of those who believed that every child deserved a chance to grow up free from the shackles of poverty and exploitation.
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Key Facts
- State: Delaware
- Category: Human Trafficking
- Era: Historical
- Source: Library of Congress — Chronicling America ↗
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