Mother Jones's Letter To President Theodore Roosevelt

470 Words2 Pages

Mother Jones, a prominent labor leader in the early 20th century, wrote a letter to President Theodore Roosevelt in 1905 regarding the issue of child labor. In her letter, Jones expressed her concern about the exploitation of children in the workforce and demanded that the government take action to end this practice. Jones’ letter to Roosevelt was a powerful statement against the abuses of child labor and a call to action for the government to protect the welfare of working children.

At the time Jones wrote her letter, child labor was prevalent in the United States. Children were often forced to work long hours in dangerous conditions for very little pay. Many children worked in factories and mines, where they were exposed to hazardous chemicals and machinery. The use of child labor was especially prevalent in the coal mines, where young boys were …show more content…

She argued that children were being robbed of their childhood and that their physical and emotional well-being was being compromised by the demands of their jobs. Jones wrote that children as young as five years old were being put to work in factories and mines, and that many of these children were being maimed or killed on the job. She argued that child labor was not only immoral, but also economically unsound, as it contributed to the cycle of poverty and illiteracy that plagued many working-class families.

Jones’ letter was a call to action for Roosevelt and the government. She demanded that the government take action to end the practice of child labor, arguing that it was the government’s responsibility to protect the welfare of its citizens. Jones called for stricter laws to regulate child labor and for the establishment of a government agency to monitor working conditions and enforce the laws. She also called for a national day of protest against child labor, which she hoped would bring attention to the issue and spur