The document discusses the history and current state of the minimum wage in the United States. It notes that the current federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour or about $15,000 per year, and was established by the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 at 25 cents per hour. Over the past 5 decades, the minimum wage has increased but has not kept up with inflation. There is an ongoing campaign to raise the minimum wage nationally to $9 per hour.