Florence Kelley
Florence Kelley: A Pioneer in Social Reform
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Full Name and Common Aliases
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Florence Kelley was born as Florence Crowe on September 6, 1859, and is commonly known by her married name, Florence Kelley.
Birth and Death Dates
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September 6, 1859 - February 28, 1932
Nationality and Profession(s)
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Kelley was an American social worker and reformer. Her work spanned various fields, including sociology, law, and politics.
Early Life and Background
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Born in Philadelphia to a Quaker family, Florence Kelley was raised with strong moral values that would later influence her career as a social reformer. Her mother's death when Kelley was just 17 years old led her to study at the University of Pennsylvania, where she earned a Bachelor's degree in economics and sociology.
Kelley continued her education at Cornell University, graduating with a Master's degree in economics. She then moved to Germany for further studies at the University of Berlin, where she was exposed to groundbreaking work on social welfare policies. This experience significantly shaped her approach to social reform upon returning to the United States.
Major Accomplishments
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Kelley's contributions to American society are vast and varied:
Child Labor Reform: Kelley's work in Philadelphia led to significant changes in child labor laws, ensuring safer working conditions for children.
Public Health Advocacy: She advocated tirelessly for improved sanitation systems, leading to a reduction in disease prevalence in urban areas.
Women's Rights: Kelley was a vocal advocate for women's suffrage and equal rights.Notable Works or Actions
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Some of Kelley's notable works include:
The Women's Trade Union League: Kelley co-founded this organization with Alice Stone Blackwell, which aimed to improve working conditions for women.
Municipal Housekeeping Movement: She was a key figure in the movement, advocating for improved sanitation and public health in urban areas.
State Children's Code: Kelley played a crucial role in drafting the first state children's code in Illinois.
Impact and Legacy
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Kelley's work had far-reaching impacts on American society:
Improved Working Conditions: Her efforts led to significant improvements in working conditions for children, reducing child labor.
Advancements in Public Health: Kelley's advocacy for sanitation systems helped reduce disease prevalence in urban areas.
Women's Empowerment: She played a pivotal role in the women's suffrage movement and advocated for equal rights.Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
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Florence Kelley is widely quoted and remembered because of her:
Visionary Approach to Social Reform: Her ability to integrate various disciplines, such as sociology, law, and politics, made her a pioneer in social reform.
Unwavering Commitment: Kelley's dedication to her cause was unwavering, even in the face of adversity.
Lasting Impact: The changes she brought about continue to influence American society today.
Quotes by Florence Kelley
To live means to buy, to buy means to have power, to have power means to have responsibility.
The very fact that women now form about one-fifth of the employes in manufacture and commerce in this country has opened a vast field of industrial legislation directly affecting women as wage-earners.
Hence, within the space of two generations there has been a complete revolution in the attitude of the trades-unions toward the women working in their trades.
Their effort to place the women upon the same industrial level with themselves in order that all may pull together in the effort to maintain reasonable conditions of life.
In order to be rated as good as a good man in the field of her earnings, she must show herself better than he. She must be more steady, or more trustworthy, or more skilled, or more cheap in order to have the same chance of employment.
The workingmen have perceived that women are in the field of industry to stay; and they see, too, that there can not be two standards of work and wages for any trade without constant menace to the higher standard.
On the one hand, she is cut off from the protection awarded to her sisters abroad; on the other, she has no such power to defend her interests at the polls, as is the heritage of her brothers at home.
In the garment trades, on the other hand, the presence of a body of the disfranchised, of the weak and young, undoubtedly contributes to the economic weakness of these trades.
This position is untenable, and there can be no pause in the agitation for full political power and responsibility until these are granted to all the women of the nation.
It is fatal for any body of workers to have forever hanging from the fringes of its skirts other bodies on a level just below its own; for that means continual pressure downward, additional difficulty to be overcome in the struggle to maintain reasonable rates of wages.