Muller V. Oregon Case Study

Words: 807
Pages: 4

It all began when the State of Oregon passed a law concerning the maximum hours a woman can work at a job. The protective labor legislation restricted women to work more than ten hours a day. This occurred during the Progressive Era when the world was advancing in technology and machinery work. When a man named Curt Muller was accused of having a woman work more than ten hours, he was charged with a fine of ten dollars. He then filled for an appeal which lead to the Supreme Court. Prior to the Muller vs. Oregon case in 1908, there was a case, Lochner vs. New York, that reached the court in 1896. This case was concerning the same idea over the protective labor legislation, but the court dismissed it. Even though the law wasn’t passed, the court was left with unclear decisions about protective labor laws that they later ran into with the Muller vs. Oregon case. There had been labor unions and reformers who wanted the protective labor laws …show more content…
Oregon where the court ruled on behalf of the State of Oregon. The court recognized that the fourteenth amendment gave the liberty to contract and it was an important right, however a woman is different from a man, making them separated in the legislation. They stated that women were physically different and the way a woman performs puts her at a disadvantage compared to a man. Also, the health of a woman should be treasured because mothers have the role of reproduction and maintain the race of the society. Throughout history, women have always been dependent on men and don’t have the physical strength to do the tasks that men accomplish. The court ruled that women need a separate legislation class because they need the protection and attention from the society and the law. “The reason runs deeper, and rests in the inherent difference between the two sexes, and in the different functions in life which they perform.” (Muller vs. Oregon page