Newsgirls
In history books and literature surrounding newsies and child labor around this time, women and girls were often forgotten or left out for a myriad of reasons. Though there is not an exact number of newsgirls recorded, we do know that enough of them existed to make the idea of an all-male cast of Newsies historically inaccurate.
Winnie Horn
"Queen of the Newsies"
Winnie Horn was a famous New York City newsgirl whose work and life was documented between 1890 and 1910 by newspapers across the country. She inspired plays, was proposed to, nicknamed senators and corresponded with presidents.
Her marriage in 1899 made national news and her death in 1910 had politicians and businessmen sending flowers.
Gender
Newsgirls vs. Newsboys
Newsgirls were not discriminated against for their gender in this time, but it was greatly unsettling to have young girls hawking papers in the street at all hours of the night. Writer David Nasaw said, "Young girls were not supposed to be brash, aggressive and loud." While newsies in general represented a failure of the government to prepare children for adulthood, newsgirls symbolized the depraved downfall of womankind and were seen as morally at risk.
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Between 1865 and 1938, more than 3,500 newspaper articles detailed newsgirls' lives, covering poverty, determination and danger. Child Labor reformers were more intentional to get girls off the street than boys. After 1920, the number of newsgirls dwindled significantly.
Forgotten Girls
Women and girls who participated in street trade were left out of the documentation of these workers. This means that we may never know just how many girls worked as newsies, but we do know the number is significant. A report from the Chicago Tribune in 1890 stated that the streets were "infested with gangs of small girls" selling papers.
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Girls sold papers in the U.S. as early at 1799, but newsgirls did not become prevalent until after the Civil War due to a need for street-level distribution and softened gender standards.