In 1874, a young girl named Mary Ellen Wilson was so badly abused that she had to be rescued using laws designed to protect animals. There were no laws to protect children from their own families at the time. Her case shocked the nation and led to the creation of the New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, the first organization of its kind. 🧒 This single event highlighted a massive problem in America, which had been growing since the Industrial Revolution. Before this, some

Mary Ellen Wilson. | Miguel Falabella