Lowell Mills Environment
During the 19th and 20th century, the Lowell Mills, which is referred to the many mills, was operated in the city Lowell. It was the factory invented by the Francis Cabot Lowell, where the machines and the people can work under the one roof. The workforce of these factories was more than 75% of females. In the mills, there were textile processes, like spinning, weaving etc (Gilderlehrman, 2016).
By 1840, there were 8,000 textile workers, the girls were known as the mill girls, for many mill girls, employment was a source of freedom, they were free from the parental authority, and however, in the factories there were harsh working conditions and long working hours. There were injustice with the girls; girls were paid lower wages because mostly girls were from poor backgrounds.
The Way Women Viewed Their Purpose And Future
They think about the next generations, the women realized that they were given lower wages, they see their future of next generations darker, when new factories offer them good wages, they realized that the mills girls were not getting the proper rights, then they did strikes, so they should also given the equal or fair wages. They strike for the dignity of women, to enslave them; they will not be a slave anymore and they want liberty.
Working In The Mills May Have Impacted Other Areas Of The Women’s Lives
The women were empowered, many people at that time believed that women should not leave their homes, many of women were restricted to were full dresses and were not allowed to get education or do jobs, however, working in mills changed the stereotyping of the society, the women were given the equal rights as men. The status and importance of women realized in the society, many other factories came into being and based on fairness, women wages and working hours were decided.
Also Study,
Reference
- Gilderlehrman. (2016). Lowell Mill Girls and the factory system, 1840. Retrieved May 4, 2016, from https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/age-jackson/resources/lowell-mill-girls-and-factory-system-1840