THREAD: When we talk of ignored atrocities by this country one group is consistently ignored. This thread makes the argument that poor and minority children have been, and continue to be, systematically abused by policies, laws, and American society. 1/X

1820 - children = 40% of mill employees in the US.

1900 - 1 in 5 children <14 worked

1916 & 1918 SCOTUS ruled child labor laws passed by states were unconstitutional.

1938 -1st Federal child labor laws.

1949- Child labor laws extended to all industries. 2/x

Child Labor was not limited to factories. Orphan Trains (1854 -1929) were a path to child enslavement. They shipped children to rural areas via rail. Any adult could pick a child at a train stop and take the child home. No questions asked 3/x

These children were often not actually orphans, just children who begged or pick pocketed. The wealthy complained beggar children were a blight on cities & Orphan Trains became the "solution". Many were taken by families needing free farm/ranch labor or house servants. 4/x

Physical and sexual abuse was rampant. In the post-civil war south, Orphan Train children were often used by southern farmers to replace slave laborers. The existence of these trains are, to my thinking, another American atrocity. 5/x

Child Abuse:
1874 - 8 y/o Mary Ellen Wilson was being severely abused by her foster parents. Many observing this complained, but it was not against the law to beat a child. Some clever soul contacted the A.S.P.C.A. . The case went to court citing laws against animal cruelty. 6/x

This is considered the first child abuse case to be heard in a US court. It spurned several states to enact child abuse laws. These laws did not do much to slow the abuse of children in orphanages & workhouses and foster homes. 7/x

While the more than 2 dozen mass graves found at the Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys in Florida (1900-2011) is an extreme example "incorrigible youth" being to abusive facilities was the norm. 8/x

Our current system does little to consider the welfare of children. As a society this country only seems to be moved by concern for children who are clean, well dressed, well fed and white children. Proof is seen in... 9/x

The recent SCOTUS ruling on life sentences for children, the number of children who go missing/are abused in CPS custody. The number of foster children placed on psychotropic drugs, and the large % those rescued from human trafficking who once had contact with CPS. 10/11

Look at the lax sentences of child sexual predators when juxtaposed against the harsh sentences for drug offenses. America will never reach our ideals until every child of every race, creed, sex, sexual orientation, and socio-economic background is cherished and protected.