Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 3.djvu/197

 FACTORY LEGISLATION FOR WOMEN IN THE UNITED STATES.

OUTLINE.

I. Historical development of the factory system in the United States, a) Causes which led to the employment of women. 6>) Extent of their employment.

II. Beginning of the labor legislation in this country. a) What led to it. 6) Classes first affected thereby.

c) Course of earliest legislation for women.

d) General trend of legislation for them in the various states.

III. Resume" and discussion of laws in all the states.

IV. Tabulated statements.

V. General results and needs of the future.

IN order to understand the meaning of protective legislation it is necessary to look for a little at the beginnings of the factory system, the causes leading to the employment of women, and the conditions which brought about remedial enactments. In Amer- ica the factory is essentially a product of the present century, although closely following in the wake of the Revolution, we see the first indications of the system. Previous to this time all industries except those purely domestic had been discouraged by the mother country. But for some time after the new nation commenced to think of entering into manufactures the people were at a decided disadvantage. They had no machinery, nor had they the means of making any. The English patents were carefully protected, and it was not until Samuel Slater came to America that fully equipped buildings were made possible here. He had been a worker for years and finally overseer in an English factory, and so knew the machinery thoroughly, plans of which he brought to this country in his head. 1 It was owing to this

1 he Knglish law forbade the carrying of plans, models, or machinery to Amer- ica." WRIGHT, Industrial Evolution in tke United States, p. 126.