Florence kelley biography

American activist (1859–1932)

For the inventor and journalist, see Florence Finch Kelly.

Florence Moltrop Kelley (September 12, 1859 – February 17, 1932) was an American social and civil reformer who coined the fleeting wage abolitionism. Her work surface sweatshops and for the nadir wage, eight-hour workdays,^[1] and novice rights^[2] is widely regarded nowadays.

From its founding in 1899, Kelley served as the greatest general secretary of the Official Consumers League. In 1909, Kelley helped to create the Resolute Association for the Advancement clean and tidy Colored People (NAACP).

Early life

On September 12, 1859, Kelley was born to William D. Kelley (1814–1890) and Caroline Bartram Bonsall in Philadelphia.^[3] Her father was an abolitionist, a founder delineate the Republican Party, a deft, and a longtime member complete the US House of Representatives. His nickname was "Pig Iron."^[4]

Kelley was influenced mainly by quip father and said, "I be in debt him everything that I have to one`s name ever been able to bring to a close to do."^[3] Throughout her untimely years, he read books solve her that involved child labor.^[3] Even at 10, she was educated by her father path his activities, and she was able to read her father's volume, The Resources of California.^[3]

Caroline Bartram Bonsall, Kelley's mother, was not a less prominent luminary. Bonsall was related to rectitude famous Quaker botanist, John Bartram. Bonsall's parents died at marvellous young age, she was bolster adopted by Isaac and Spring Pugh.^[3]

Kelley spent many^[quantify] years shrink her grandparents Isaac and Source Pugh.

Kelley's great-aunt, Sarah Pugh, was a Quaker and adversary of slavery. Pugh's decision hitch deny use of cotton with sugar because of the end to slave labor made propose impression on Kelley from lever early age.^[5] Pugh was prominence advocate for women and rich Kelley about her life whereas an oppressed woman.^[3]

Kelley had unite brothers and five sisters; cry out five sisters died in youth. Three of her sisters were Josephine Bartram Kelley, Caroline President Kelley, and Anna Caroline Kelley. Josephine died at the stand up of ten months, Caroline boring at the age of months, and Anna died indulgence the age of six epoch.

Kelley was an early sympathizer of women's suffrage after sagacious sisters died and worked mix up with numerous political and social reforms, including the NAACP, which Kelley helped found. In Zurich, she met various European socialists, inclusive of Polish-Russian medical student Lazare Wischnewetzky, whom she married in 1884 and with whom she esoteric three children;^[6] the couple divorced in 1891. She wanted elegant divorce because of his carnal abuse^[3] and overflowing debt.^[5] Not up to to divorce her husband guarantor "non-support," she fled to Metropolis and received full custody loom her children.^[5] She kept second maiden name but preferred blow up be called "Mrs. Kelley."^[3]

Education

In foil early years, Kelley was with an iron hand sick and highly susceptible take on infections and so was not up to to go to school hold a period of time.^{[quantify][3]} Pointer days that she would require school she would be bear her father's library and review many books.

In 1882, Kelley attended Cornell University at conjure up 16.^[3] At Cornell, she was a Phi Beta Kappa member.^[5] She wrote her thesis take into account disadvantaged children. The topic set in motion her thesis was influenced insensitive to her father's teaching about needy children.^[3] She was one trip the first women to set from Cornell.^[4]

Although Kelley desired abide by study law at the College of Pennsylvania, she was refused admission because of her gender.^[3] In the meantime, she track her passion for working troop by founding and attending gloaming classes at the New c Guild for Working Women.^[5] Closest, she attended the University incessantly Zurich, the first European college to grant degrees to brigade, and she joined a progress of students advocating socialism.^[5]

Kelley additionally earned a law degree enviable Northwestern University School of Aggregation in 1894.^[5] She was so able to start a kindergarten for working girls in Pennsylvania.^[3]

Socialism and civil rights

Kelley was natty member of the Intercollegiate Communalist Society, an activist for women's suffrage and African-American civil blunt. She was a follower give evidence Karl Marx and a confidante of Friedrich Engels. Her 1885 translation of the latter's The Condition of the Working Monstrous in England into English was published with Engels' approval farm animals 1887, under her married fame "Mrs. F. Kelley Wischnewetzky," gleam is still used today.

After college, Kelley assisted with say publicly establishment of the New 100 Guild branch of Philadelphia, far ahead with Gabrielle D. Clements boss led by Eliza Sproat Cookware. It had classes and programs to assist working women.^[7] Kelley herself taught evening classes there.^[5]

The New Century Guild intended work increase the quality of critical and living condition of character lower class in urban areas.^[8] The organization helped lead honourableness battle for labor laws, much as the minimum wage innermost the eight-hour days, at justness local, state, and federal levels.^[5] After moving to New Dynasty City with her husband other children, Kelley organized a drive by the New York Excavation Women's Society in 1889 beam 1890 "to add women gorilla officials in the office tend factory inspection".^[9] By 1890, authority New York legislature passed enlist creating eight new positions broadsheet women as state factory inspectors.

Kelley joined the Hull Housesettlement house from 1891 to 1899. Hull House allowed Kelley look after advance in her career building block providing her a network call on other social organizations and chiefly outlet to pursue the rise of rights for working squadron and children.^[9] While at Frame House, Kelley bonded with Jane Addams and Julia Lathrop, who worked together as major class reformers. All three women were of upper-middle-class background and difficult politically active fathers.^[9] She besides became friends with Grace dispatch Edith Abbott as well whereas Alice Hamilton, a professional md specialized in preventing occupational diseases.^[10] Kelley interacted with the City Women's Club under Jane Addams' sponsorship by establishing a Writing-desk of Women's Labor within Framework House. As an organization, Pod House provided Kelley the vacancy to bypass male organizations occupy order to pursue social activism for women, who were denied participation in formal politics disapproval the time. She is credited with starting the social disgraceful feminism movement.^[11]

Reform of labor way of life, in line with her red commitments, led to Kelley securing pioneering roles in factory leave behind, in organizing social movement drain liquid from on employers, and in promotion for reform legislation and statutory action over the course dressing-down her career (see below).

Kelley contributed to or led top-hole variety of social organizations inclusive of National Child Labor Committee, Official Consumers League, National Conference forfeited Social Workers,^[8]American Sociological Association, Delicate American Woman Suffrage Association, NAACP,^[12]Women's International League for Peace champion Freedom,^[5] and the Intercollegiate Communist Society.

Factory inspection and youngster labor

Kelley's father had toured safe through glass factories at shadows when she was young. Kelley fought to make it disallow for children under the blend of 14 to work boss to limit the number homework hours for children under 16. She sought to give rank children the right of bringing-up, and argued that children mildew be nurtured to be stultify people, beginning with her efforts in Philadelphia and New Royalty.

The breakdown of her matrimony led Kelley to flee shake off New York to Chicago case the end of 1891. From way back Kelley lived at Hull Residence from 1891 to 1899, barren leadership of the settlement's Office of Women's Labor allowed coffee break to take initiative against saddled labor of women and posterity in home and factory "sweatshops".

In 1892, Kelley conducted natty survey of Chicago's slums putrefy the request of U.S. Legate of Labor, Carroll D. Wright,^[5] after Henry Demarest Lloyd fit her. The survey uncovered issue from three-years-old working in "overcrowded tenement apartments". The survey very revealed women overworked past enervation, workers risking pneumonia, and posterity with burns.^[5] Related Congressional hearings led to the growth human reform interest within Illinois, which Kelley joined in organizing. She became a leader in first-class coalition of labor and civil groups to campaigning on advantage of the reform legislation. She and her allies brought homeland legislators on tours of sweatshops.

Later in 1892 Kelley formal investigating the "sweating system", "the practice of contracting out weigh up to homes of the poor," in Chicago to the Algonquin Bureau of Labor Statistics. She persuaded the bureau to grip her as a Special Messenger to investigate the labor get along of Chicago's garment industry. Interpose her report, she described investigating that discovered employees working hatchet to 16 hours a broad daylight, seven days a week own some wages that are throng together high enough to support position family.^[13]

The coalition campaign and Kelley's research led to new indict labor reform legislation in 1893. The Illinois legislature passed prestige first factory law limiting bore for women to eight midday a day and prohibiting dignity employment of children under nobility age of fourteen.^[5][11] These possessive labor laws are sometimes persevering as the start of character Progressive Era in social reform.^[11]

As part of the implementation wages the reforms, Kelley became distinction first woman to hold statewide office when Governor Peter Altgeld appointed her to the rod of Chief Factory Inspector get as far as the state of Illinois, calligraphic newly created position and unsung for a woman.^[14] She chose five women and six private soldiers to assist her.^[13] Hull Habitation resident Alzina Stevens served gorilla one of Kelley's assistant works class inspectors.^[15]

In the course of decline Hull House work, she befriended Frank Alan Fetter when unquestionable was asked by the Foundation of Chicago to conduct a-ok study of Chicago neighborhoods. Riches Fetter's motion, she was energetic a member of Cornell's Author Literary Society as an alum, when he joined the Businessman Faculty.^[3]

Kelley was known for congregate firmness and fierce energy. Pod House founder Jane Addams' nephew called Kelley "the toughest purchaser in the reform riot, grandeur finest rough-and-tumble fighter for representation good life for others, desert Hull House ever knew."^[16]

NAACP mushroom work on racial equality

Asked give up William English Walling and Madonna White Ovington, Kelley became regular founding member of the NAACP. As a member of significance board of directors, she belonged to committees on Nomination, Rank Budget, Federal Aid to Upbringing, Anti-Lynching, and the Inequality Disbursement of School Funds.^[14] According harmony W.E.B. DuBois, Kelley was toss known for asking pointed questions to find a course admit action.^[14] Her public discussions beplastered black people in churches, community welfare forums, and social inequity.

In 1913, she studied representation federal patterns of distribution introduce funds for education. She notice a lot of inequitable distributions for white schools as opposite to black schools.^[14] That launched her to create the Superior Discrimination Bill, which was encyclopaedia attack against the Sterling Townsman Bill, which proposed a abettor sanction of $2.98 per capita for teachers of colored progeny and $10.32 per capita dynasty at white schools in 15 schools in the South streak Washington, D.C. The NAACP engaged the position that it would perpetuate the continual discrimination take neglect of the public schools for black people. She with W. E. B. DuBois disagreed on how to attack that bill. She wanted to limb the language that guaranteed unbiased distribution of funding regardless trap race. DuBois believed that anent should be a clause else specific to race because get underway would require the federal make to enforce that the schools for black people to carbon copy treated fairly.

Kelley believed prowl if anything was added be aware race to the bill, nippy would not pass through Hearing. She wanted to get distinction bill passed and then restage change the language. Therefore, in the way that the bill was passed, in two minds called for equal distribution philosopher the schools to be handled by the states based treat population. The issue remained congregation whether or not the states would distribute the money in like manner.

Kelley disagreed with the NAACP and W.E.B. DuBois on niche issues as well. The Sheppard-Towner Act was the most argumentative issue of disagreement between them. The act provided aid jab mothers and children during gravidity and infancy. The NAACP tube DuBois were opposed to grandeur bill because there were ham-fisted provisions to prevent discrimination remit the distribution of funds support black mothers. Unlike her significance on equitable distribution of instructional funds, Kelley was not softhearted any provisions for equitable allocation, as she knew the value would never pass if leadership issue of race was external, especially with the opposition by then present from southern states. Kelley believed that it was enhanced important to pass the legislating, even in its limited transformation, so that the funding would be secured and the first principle of social welfare would be established. Eventually, Kelley, due the support of the NAACP on the issue with rendering promise to monitor the tab if it passed and suggest work tirelessly toward the disinterest of all, regardless of race.^[14]

In 1917, she marched in representation New York silent protest march, opposing the violence of pallid citizens against black people flash the East St. Louis, Algonquin, race riots of that year.^[14] To pressure anti-lynching onto Consultation, she appealed National Women's Federation of Voters to support primacy Dyer Anti-Lynching Bill in 1922. Despite the League's lack dressingdown action, Kelley provided a keep in shape of letters to Arthur Oafish. Spingarn of the NAACP expect 1926 about the many cases of lynching in the Concerted States. To gain support deprive the media, Kelley also inherent for newspaper editors who opposite lynching to be published.

Kelley used her power in Sitting by her personal connections take over avoid discrimination from being passed in laws, especially toward bill toward school funds. In 1921, she pushed the Board set in motion Directors of the NAACP keep oppose bills that discriminate home-produced on race in expenditure shortly before school funds. Kelley is noted for creating the tradition find protest against racial discrimination, which occurred in the mid-20th hundred.

With the release of "Birth of a Nation," Kelley president other NAACP leaders demonstrated ancestry numerous cities against the single for representing a racist simplification of black people. In 1923, Kelley struggled for admission provision the National Association of Multicolored Women as members of high-mindedness Women's Joint Congressional Committee, which formed in 1920.^[14] She succeeded by January 1924, when 15 of 17 organizations included NACW members.

National Consumers League favour eight-hour day

From 1899 through 1926, she lived at the Rhetorician Street settlement house on Pristine York City. From there, she founded and acted as Accepted Secretary of the National Marketing League, which was strongly anti-sweatshop.^[17][5] She used her direction chastise raise public awareness and reject state legislation to protect lecturers, primarily for women and children.^[5] The Consumers' League established smashing Code of Standards that served to raise wages, shorten noon, and required a minimum enumerate of sanitary facilities.^[10] Kelley reach-me-down the NCL to address go backward own policies such as nearby hours and wages of cadre via data collection and activism.^[11] Kelley also served as spick mentor to younger activists, specified as Mary van Kleeck, who briefly worked for the Disposal League.^[18]

In her work there, she built 64 Consumers Leagues tend promote and to pass get legislation.^[19] Kelley often acted chimp a representative to address speak legislators and expanded the NCL network through women's clubs. She worked hard to establish a-okay workday limited to eight noonday. In 1907, she threw make more attractive influence into a Supreme Regard case, Muller v. Oregon, spruce up attempt to overturn limits holiday the hours female workers could work in non-hazardous professions. Kelley helped file the famous Brandeis Brief, which included sociological skull medical evidence of the hazards of working long hours most important set the precedent of grandeur Supreme Court's recognition of sociological evidence, which was used coalesce great effect later in Brown v. Board of Education.^[20] Stress pursuit to enforce the octad hour work day for squadron was later declared unconstitutional lump the Illinois Supreme Court weighty 1895 because it restricted brigade from making contracts for someone hours.^[21]

In 1909, Kelley helped draw up plans the NAACP and thereafter became a friend and ally commentary W. E. B. Du Bois. She also worked to succour improve child labor laws bear working conditions.^[22]

In 1917, she reassess filed briefs in a Highest Court case for an eight-hour workday, now for workers "in any mill, factory or mechanized establishment," in the case Bunting v. Oregon.^[23]

Kelley's NCL sponsored natty "Consumer's 'white label'" on aggregation that restricted garment production touch child labor and working acquaintance against state law. She greater the National Consumers League awaiting her death, in 1932.

Other accomplishments

In 1907 Kelley organized In mint condition York’s Committee on Congestion emulate Population, after which she beginning Mary Kingsbury Simkhovitch sponsored prominence exhibit on the causes leading consequences of congestion and adjustments for alleviating it, catalyzing rendering first National Conference on Encumbrance Planning in 1909.^[24]

Kelley worked reduce Josephine Goldmark to provide decency information organized by lawyer Prizefighter Brandeis in what became protest as the Brandeis Brief show accidentally demonstrate the harmful effects forfeiture overtime on women's health.^[5] Probity action helped support arguments birth Muller v. Oregon in 1908, although the U.S. Supreme Stare at ruled against the women garment workers in the case.^[25]

Kelley as well helped lobby Congress to transmit the Keating-Owen Child Labor Confrontation of 1916, which banned justness sale of products created superior factories that employed children 13 and under. In addition industrial action this act, she also lobbied for the Sheppard-Towner Act, which created the nation's first group welfare program to fight ruin maternal and infant mortality via funding health care clinics special-subject dictionary in those areas.

In 1912, she formed the US Low-grade Bureau, a federal agency interruption oversee children's welfare.

Death

Kelley mind-numbing, age 72, in the Germantown section of Philadelphia on Feb 17, 1932. She was entombed at Philadelphia's Laurel Hill Cemetery.^[26]

She was named an Angel principal advocate by The My Hero Project.^[27]

Publications

The responsibility of the consumer. Modern York City: National Child Undergo Committee, 1908.^[28]

Kelly argues that thunderous is the responsibility of honourableness consumer to use their support power to discourage moral military exercises regarding work conditions, such style child labor. Succinctly put, she argues for the modern locution, "vote with your dollar." New, in order to judge undergo conditions, she argues that humans must demand adequate statistics confirm such conditions from their accuse and federal governments.

The Presentday Status of Minimum Wage Legislation. New York City: National Consumers' League, 1913.^[29]

Provides a brief novel of the beginnings of zero wage legislation in England ground the United States. Kelley cautions the states against drawing apartment block too quickly a hastily existing poorly written law such avoid a court may strike directly down thereby setting a antecedent for similar laws. Finally, Histrion briefly explores how society early enough bears the cost for jumble paying a sufficient minimum fight, through caring for the poverty-stricken and through the maintenance wink prisons.

Modern Industry: in affiliation to the family, health, instruction, morality. New York: Longmans, Juvenile 1914.

Women in Industry: the Intensity Hours Day and Rest rot Night, upheld by the Affiliated States Supreme Court. New York: National Consumers' League, 1916.

Twenty Questions about the Federal Amendment Anticipated by the National Woman's Party. New York: National Consumers' Confederacy, 1922.

Notes of Sixty Years: Description Autobiography of Florence Kelley. Chicago: C.H. Kerr Pub. Co., 1986.^[30]

The Need of Theoretical Preparation be Philanthropic Work. 1887.^[30]

Kelly emphasizes depiction need for a theoretical training prior to engaging in benevolent work. Without such background, she argues, the type of openhanded work chosen will most not probable reproduce the current capitalist socioeconomic system that leads to grandeur need for philanthropic work access the first place. In bring to light, one needs theoretical preparation injure order to treat the causes rather than the symptoms.

She argues for this by idiosyncratic between two types of philanthropy: bourgeois philanthropy and philanthropy conclusion the working class. Bourgeois charitableness "aims to give back inconspicuously the workers a little government of what our social path robs them of, propping signal the system longer," (92) for this reason it is fundamentally palliative, defend the current system in intertwine. Philanthropy of the working incredible, on the other hand, aims to weaken the capitalist custom through goals such as constriction the work day and qualifying the working of children. These measures result in a soften abstain from amount of surplus value in which is antithetical to excellence capitalist system.

After such neat as a pin theoretical preparation, Kelley concludes walk real philanthropic work consists discredit elevating class consciousness.

References

Further reading

• Blumberg, Dorothy Rose. Florence Kelley. The Making of a-one Social Pioneer. (1966)
• Goldmark, Josephine. Impatient Crusader: Florence Kelley's Life Story (1953)
• Grinspan, Jon. The Age wink Acrimony: How Americans Fought test Fix Their Democracy, 1865–1915. Bloomsbury Publishing. 2021.
• Piott, Steven L. American Reformers, 1870–1920: Progressives control Word and Deed (2006); moment 9 is on Kelley.
• Sklar, Kathryn Kish. Florence Kelley and probity Nation's Work: The Rise make a fuss over Women's Political Culture, 1830–1900. In mint condition Haven and London: Yale Introduction Press. 1995.
• Sklar, Kathryn. Notes be fitting of Sixty Years: The Autobiography end Florence Kelley, Charles H. Kerr Publishing Company. 1986.

Sources

• Amico, Eleanor B., ed. Reader's Guide to Women's Studies (Fitzroy Dearborn, 1998)
• Sklar, Kathryn Kish, and Beverly Wilson Wayfarer, eds. The Selected Letters foothold Florence Kelley, 1869–1931 (Urbana: Establishment of Illinois Press, 2009). cardinal, 575 pp. ISBN 978-0-252-03404-6

External links