(1836) and Connecticut (1842), new laws were passed requiring "that all children get some schooling and that children in textile factories be limited to working no more than ten hours per day" (Nazario, 1988, p. xx). Although the idea of compulsory education had already been developed at that time, these new laws represented an important step forward in preventing the exploitation of children for their labor. One of the most important legal cases in the establishment of children's rights occurred in 1874. In that year, Henry Bergh, founder of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, went to court on the behalf of an abused child named Mary Ellen. As a result of Bergh's efforts, the child was removed from her home and the abusive stepmother was found guilty on charges of assault and battery (Baily & Baily, 1983, p. 143). Soon after that, the Society to Prevent Cruelty to Children was founded in order to help protect against similar cases of child abuse. During the late nineteenth century, numerous other agencies for the protection of children were formed. In addition, stricter child labor laws were established during that time.
In 1899, the first juvenile court was opened in Cook County, Illinois. In contrast to the criminal court, the juvenile court was designed to help children through rehabilitation and training rather than through jail sentences and other punishments (Nazario, 1988, p. xxi). In 1935, the Social Security Act was passed for the purpose of helping dependent children as well as unemployed adults. The Social Security Act provided funding for a program known as Aid to Dependent Children (ADC), as well as for a variety of other child welfare services (Hawes, 1991, p. 128). The children's rights movement has been especially strong in the United States since the 1960's. During that decade, a number of social groups including African Americans, native Americans, women, homosexuals, and the elder...