Conclusion

 

The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 was a step in the right direction and set the ball rolling for successful child labor laws on the federal level.

 

The success of the national law demonstrated that the National Child Labor Committee's tireless efforts had finally paid off. Their two main goals since their creation in 1904 was always to spread public awareness and lobby for legislation restrictng child labor. The committee achived this through Lewis Hine's compelling photographs of children working in grueling conditions, informative pamphlets, and investigations on horrible labor conditions. Through active members such as Owen Lovejoy and Alexander McKelway, the committee was able to fight for laws to protect children. While at first the state child labor laws were very lenient and the first national laws were rendered unconstitutional, the NCLC continued to strive for a successful national law. Under Franklin D. Roosevelt's administration, the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 established a minimum age, minimum wage, and maximum working hours - much of the standards the committee had hoped for.