Dangerous Working Conditions

By: Charae Caldwell and Arial Robertson

In 1904 Sinclair spent 7 weeks in disguised, under cover in Chicago meat packing plants to produce his fictional book called The Jungle. Sinclair wrote this book to expose the working conditions, poverty, absence of social programs, working class and to remove corruption of the meat packing industry.

Upton Sinclair

Jane Adams

Jane Adams was the founder of the Settlement House Movement. Assisted by Ellen Starr they also found the Hull House of Chicago in 1889. First American Woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.

Jane gave to the poor, and believed everyone was equal. She soon was a member of the NCAAP ( National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

In 1938 Roosevelt signed the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). This law enforced sets a minimum wage, requires overtime pay after 40 hours a week, and is against child labor and industrial homework.

Sweatshop conditions received further attention after a fire in New York’s Triangle Shirtwaist factory in 1911. There were locked exits that prevented people from leaving, some many jumped to their deaths

Teddy Roosevelt

Fire in a Factory

Before After

Child Labor and Working Conditions

After a 12- 14 hour day of work Inside the factory

Florence Kelley

In 1989 Kelley established the radical pressure group, The National Consumer League( NCL). The main goal of the organization was to achieve minimum wage and a limitation on the working hours of women and children. She was the first leader traveling the country giving lectures on working conditions in the United States.

Modern Days

Kids working conditions

Modern Days

Minimum: wage is 7.25 Hours: 40hrs a week

Adults working conditions