Long Term Impact

The New York City newsboys strike left its mark on history in 3 separate ways. The first way it left its mark was that it gave attention to the topic of of child labor, and this local attention garnered traction through word of mouth, newspapers, photography and every form of communication in between. As a result of the organizing by the newsboys and their strikes, they were even honored at the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904. Newsboys got free admission and the opportunity to form bands and hold a parade. This second long term impact was that this increased communication eventually contributed to anti child labor and urban child welfare legislation, decades after the events of the strike. For example, photographer Lewis Hine was hired by the National Child Labor Committee, or the NCLC for short. He spent that time documenting child labor through his photographs, and one of his main focus was the newsboys of the US. His photographs helped support the NCLC’s lobbying to end the practice of child labor, and in 1938 the Fair Labor Standards Act brought child labor in the US to end. Third, and finally, the strike inspired a Broadway musical and Disney movie adaptation of that musical titled:”Newsies”.  ​​​​​​​