The Girl Who Became the Face of Child Labor — Addie Card’s Story

Her name was Addie Card. In 1910, at just twelve years old, she worked grueling hours at the North Pownal Cotton Mill in Vermont.

Twelve.
Surrounded by whirring machines, floating cotton fibers, and the relentless roar of industry, Addie was one of thousands of American children toiling in factories during that era — small hands, quick reflexes, and wages even smaller. Her job was to tend to the looms, fix threads, and work fast — all while breathing in air thick with dust. Each day was long, loud, and exhausting.

And when her shift ended, her work did not. There were still chores at home. Her family relied on her paycheck just to survive.

It was photographer Lewis Hine who captured Addie in a rare moment of stillness — her face calm, but her eyes heavy with a burden far beyond her years. That portrait would go on to become one of the most powerful symbols in America’s fight against child labor.

Addie longed for a life beyond the factory walls. But like so many children of her time, she was born into a world where survival demanded sacrifice.

The Industrial Revolution helped build modern America — but for children like Addie, it also stole something away.