Industrial Violence and the Legal Origins of Child Labor (Cambridge Historical Studies in American Law and Society)

"Industrial Violence and the Legal Origins of Child Labor challenges existing understandings of child labor by tracing how law altered the meanings of work for young people in the United States between the Revolution and the Great Depression. Rather than locating these shifts in statutory reform or economic development, it finds the origin in litigations that occurred in the wake of industrial accidents incurred by young workers. Drawing on archival case records from the Appalachian South between the 1880s and the 1920s, the book argues that young workers and their families envisioned an industrial childhood that rested on negotiating safe workplaces, a vision at odds with child labor reform. Local court battles over industrial violence confronted working people with a legal language of childhood incapacity and slowly moved them to accept the lexicon of child labor. In this way, the law fashioned the broad social relations of modern industrial childhood"--Provided by publisher. Half-title......Page 3 Series-title......Page 5 Title......Page 7 Copyright......Page 8 Dedication......Page 9 Contents......Page 11 Illustrations......Page 13 Acknowledgments......Page 14 Prologue: The Job......Page 17 1 Big Enough to Work......Page 27 Help Wanted......Page 30 At Public Work......Page 43 Messing with the Machinery......Page 57 2 The Divine Right to Do Nothing......Page 66 The Employment of Children......Page 69 Noble Capitalists and Lazy Fathers......Page 73 A Small, Yet Valiant Band......Page 83 Little Prisoners......Page 89 Divine Rights......Page 103 3 Mashed to Pieces......Page 108 The Moment of Impact......Page 110 A Long Recovery......Page 117 Bargaining for Safety......Page 127 4 Natural Impulses......Page 144 A Personal Trust......Page 147 Independent Agents......Page 154 Childish Instincts......Page 161 Appreciating the Danger......Page 170 5 An Injury to All......Page 190 How Old Are You?......Page 192 The Force of Law......Page 201 A Weapon for Workers......Page 212 A Charitable Proposition......Page 217 No Protection......Page 224 6 The Dawn of Child Labor......Page 233 The Average of the Community......Page 235 Violence on Trial......Page 245 A Powerful Silence......Page 253 Unmaking the Man......Page 261 Country Lads and School Boys......Page 266 Epilogue: Get Up and Play......Page 281 Note on Sources......Page 289 Archival Case List......Page 290 Index......Page 295 Half-title 3 Series-title 5 Title 7 Copyright 8 Dedication 9 Contents 11 Illustrations 13 Acknowledgments 14 Prologue: The Job 17 1 Big Enough to Work 27 Help Wanted 30 At Public Work 43 Messing with the Machinery 57 2 The Divine Right to Do Nothing 66 The Employment of Children 69 Noble Capitalists and Lazy Fathers 73 A Small, Yet Valiant Band 83 Little Prisoners 89 Divine Rights 103 3 Mashed to Pieces 108 The Moment of Impact 110 A Long Recovery 117 Bargaining for Safety 127 4 Natural Impulses 144 A Personal Trust 147 Independent Agents 154 Childish Instincts 161 Appreciating the Danger 170 5 An Injury to All 190 How Old Are You? 192 The Force of Law 201 A Weapon for Workers 212 A Charitable Proposition 217 No Protection 224 6 The Dawn of Child Labor 233 The Average of the Community 235 Violence on Trial 245 A Powerful Silence 253 Unmaking the Man 261 Country Lads and School Boys 266 Epilogue: Get Up and Play 281 Note on Sources 289 Archival Case List 290 Index 295 0521198658,9780521198653,0521155053,9780521155052 Cambridge University Press "Industrial Violence and the Legal Origins of Child Labor disturbs settled understandings of child labor by tracing how law altered the meanings of work for young people in the United States between the Revolution and the Great Depression. Rather than locating these shifts in statutory reform or economic development, it finds the origin in litigations that occurred in the wake of industrial accidents incurred by young workers. Drawing on archival case records from the Appalachian South between the 1880s and the 1920s, the book argues that young workers and their families envisioned an industrial childhood that rested on negotiating safe workplaces, a vision at odds with child labor reform. Local court battles over industrial violence confronted working people with a legal language of childhood incapacity and slowly moved them to accept the lexicon of child labor. In this way, the law fashioned the broad social relations of modern industrial childhood."--Publisher information

Industrial Violence and the Legal Origins of Child Labor challenges existing understandings of child labor by tracing how law altered the meanings of work for young people in the United States between the Revolution and the Great Depression. Rather than locating these shifts in statutory reform or economic development, it finds the origin in litigations that occurred in the wake of industrial accidents incurred by young workers. Drawing on archival case records from the Appalachian South between the 1880s and the 1920s, the book argues that young workers and their families envisioned an industrial childhood that rested on negotiating safe workplaces, a vision at odds with child labor reform. Local court battles over industrial violence confronted working people with a legal language of childhood incapacity and slowly moved them to accept the lexicon of child labor. In this way, the law fashioned the broad social relations of modern industrial childhood.

Machine generated contents note: Prologue: the job; 1. Big enough to work; 2. The divine right to do nothing; 3. Mashed to pieces; 4. Natural instincts; 5. An injury to all; 6. The dawn of child labor; Epilogue: get up and play.