Vocab
Mill
A building equipped with machinery; a factory
What were the bedrooms the women lived in called?
Boarding houses
How many hours a day did the girls work?
12-13 (and sometimes more!)
From the Mill Times video, what did they write in their letter to the mill manager?
They wrote their grievances in what they wanted to change. They said they would not return to work on Monday unless their demands were met. (They went on strike).
TODAY, how do we know what the Mill girls experienced?
We have primary sources which include photographs, memoirs, letters, newspapers, work schedules, and more.
Strike
When employees stop working until their demands are met by employers
Were the Lowell Mill girls fed well? Explain.
Yes, they were. The women were given three meals a day and ate food such as cod, soup, biscuits, pie, and hot coffee.
How did the girls have to wear their hair? Explain your answer.
The girls had to wear their hair tied up so that it didn't get caught in the machinery.
What does "turn out" mean?
To go on strike
Why did people leave their homes to work at the mills?
They left their homes because the factories offered better wages and living conditions than they would have had at their farms. They also left their homes for independence. This was the first time many of them got to be on their own, so being able to make money and send it home to their families was important.
Trade Union
A group of workers with goals to improve pay & working conditions
Did everyone in the boarding houses get their own bed?
No
How much money did Mill girls make a week?
$3 - $4.
From our play, who did the Mill Girls write to in an attempt to make change?
Politicians
What was one risk associated with going on strike?
Being fired (SACKED).
Mass production
The manufacturing of goods in large quantities by using machinery
What did the typical Sunday of a Lowell Mill worker look like?
They went to church, socialized, and watched plays, lectures, and concerts. They couldn't drink!!!
What did the Lowell Mills produce?
Textiles (cloth).
Why do you think it was hard for women to have their voices heard when protesting and going to legislation?
Women did not have rights back then and they were seen as inferior to men. Note that *WHITE* women did did not receive voting rights until 1920.
What did Samuel Slater do?
He was a British factory worker who memorized how the machines in the mills were made. He brought over the plans to the USA and opened the first water-powered cotton mill in New England (USA).
Lowell System
Based on water powered textile mills that employed young, unmarried women from local farms. The system included a loom that could both spin thread and weave cloth in the same mill. Women slept in boarding houses.
Recall the schedule from the gallery walk. Tell me as much as you can about the schedule.
There was a wakeup bell and a quick first meal, followed by several hours of work, a lunch bell, and work until the evening dinner bell. After work, the girls had a few hours of relative freedom before the boarding house's curfew.
Describe the working conditions during a shift in the Mill.
It was very loud and the machines were dangerous. The air was filled with dust, making it very hard to breathe. The factories were incredibly hot (due in part to the machines generating heat). Also, it was so crowded, making it so that there was very little room to move.
What did workers do to improve their working conditions? Give me as much information as you can.
They formed labor unions, went on strike, and wrote letters to their senators and mill managers. They fought for working rights to improve their lives in the factories.
What was the union that Sarah G. Bagley created called?
The Lowell Female Labor Reform Association