The Battle Against Child Labor: A Photo Essay Exploring the Evolution of Supreme Court Justice Decisions

In 1918, a landmark case called Hamer v. Dagenhart made headlines when a North Carolina business owner sued the government to employ his 14-year-old son and avoid restrictions on shipping goods across state lines. At the time, there was no nationwide ban on child labor, but federal law prohibited the interstate shipment of goods produced by child labor.

Prior to 1938, each state had its own laws regarding child labor, creating a patchwork system that left many children vulnerable to exploitation. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) of 1938 changed everything, outlawing child labor nationwide and establishing a minimum age for employment in industries such as manufacturing and agriculture.

The FLSA was part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal, a sweeping set of economic and social reforms designed to alleviate the suffering of Americans during the Great Depression. The Supreme Court played a crucial role in shaping these reforms, with justices like Hugo Black and Felix Frankfurter playing key roles in landmark cases like West Coast Hotel Co. v. Parrish (1937) and National Labor Relations Board v. Jones & Laughlin Steel Corp. (1937).

The New Deal period saw significant reversals on the Supreme Court, as justices began to uphold federal regulations and programs designed to address economic and social problems. In cases like Schecter Poultry Corp. v. United States (1935) and Panama Refining Co. v. Ryan (1935), the Court struck down state laws that conflicted with federal regulations, paving the way for more effective national governance.

In this photo essay, we explore the evolution of Supreme Court justice decisions regarding child labor through images of key figures, courtrooms, and historical events. From the struggles of 14-year-old workers to the landmark legislation of the New Deal era, our photographs bring to life the story of how America's highest court helped shape the country's approach to child labor and employment laws.

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