ABSTRACT
PROTECTIVE LABOR LAWS In the nineteenth century a number of laws were passed that regulated the labor of women and children: how long they could work, where they could work, and under what conditions. These laws were promoted both by labor reformers and some labor organizations concerned with the growing population of child and female workers. Male workers also had concerns about female and child labor, mainly because they provided a cheap labor pool which could compete with male labor. Rather than join with women to protect their right to work under humane conditions for a decent wage, male workers often tried to drive women from a trade by restricting their numbers, the hours they could work, and the conditions that would govern their work.
