Florence Kelley

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Florence Kelley
Born	September 12, 1859(1859-09-12) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Died	February 17, 1932 (aged 72) Germantown
Occupation	American social reformer
Spouse	Lazare Wischnewetzky
Parents	William D. Kelley and Caroline Bartram-Bonsall

Florence Kelley (September 12, 1859 – February 17, 1932) was a social and political reformer from Philadelphia. Her work with children's rights is widely regarded today.^[1]

Contents 1 Family 2 Socialism, marriage and translations 3 Socialism and Civil Rights 4 Publications 5 External links and references

[edit] Family

She was the daughter of Congressman William Darrah "Pig Iron" Kelley, a self-made man who renounced his business activities to become an abolitionist, a founder of the Republican party and a judge, and worked for numerous political and social reforms, including the NAACP.

[edit] Socialism, marriage and translations

Florence Kelley was an early supporter of women's suffrage. In Zurich, she met various European socialists, including Polish-Russian medical student Lazare Wischnewetzky, whom she married in 1884 (the couple divorced in 1891). She is well-known for her translation of Die Lage der arbeitenden Klasse in England, written in 1844 by Friedrich Engels, with whom she corresponded frequently. As The Condition of the Working Class in England in 1844, it has been in print ever since. She appears there as 'Mrs. F. Kelley Wischnewetzky' and was also known as Florence Kelley Wischnewetzky.

[edit] Socialism and Civil Rights

A graduate of Cornell University, she was a member of the Intercollegiate Socialist Society, an activist for woman suffrage and African-American civil rights. In 1909 Kelley helped create the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and thereafter became a friend and ally of W.E.B. DuBois. She also worked to help the child labor laws and the working conditions.^[2]

[edit] Publications

• The responsibility of the consumer. New York City: National Child Labor Committee, 1908?
• The Present Status of Minimum Wage Legislation. New York City: National Consumers' League, 1913.
• Modern Industry: in relation to the family, health, education, morality. New York: Longmans, Green 1914.
• Women in Industry: the Eight Hours Day and Rest at Night, upheld by the United States Supreme Court. New York: National Consumers' League, 1916.
• Twenty Questions about the Federal Amendment Proposed by the National Woman's Party. New York: National Consumers' League, 1922.

"Florence Kelley and the Nation's World: The Rise of Women's Political Culture, 1830-1900" Sklar, Kathryn Kish. New Haven and London: Yale University Press. 1995.

[edit] External links and references

• Florence Kelley (1859-1932) on harvard.edu
• Florence Kelly on schoolnet.co.uk
• Florence Kelley on Women and Social Movements, subscription required
• Biographical note
• A letter from Engels to Florence Kelley Wischnewetzky
• Entry at 'project Muse' (needs a subscription to read it all)
• Florence Kelley fought for civil rights