Modern History Sourcebook: Harriet Robinson: Lowell Mill Girls nber autobiograpy

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Modern History Sourcebook: Harriet Robinson: Lowell Mill Girls nber autobiograpyHarriet Hanson Robinson, the wife of a mewspaper edilor provided an account of her carlier lafe as female factory wonker (rew the age of ten in 1834 to 1848) in the fextle Mls of Lowell, Massachnsetts. Her account explains some of he faily dynamics ivolved and lets us see the wonen as active participants in dbeir own lives-for instance in their strike of In what folowsI shall confine myself to a description of factory life in Lowell, Massachusetts, from 1832 do 1848, since, with that phase of Early Factory Labor in New England, I am the most familiar-because I was a part of it In 1832, Lowell was litle more than a factory village. Five "corporations" were started, and the cotton mills bclonging to them were buildingHelp was in great demand and stories were told all over the country of the new factory place, and the high wages that were offered to all classes of workpeople; stories that reached the ears of mechanics' and farmers' sons and gave new life bo keeely and dependent women in distant towns and farmhouses Troops of young giels came freem different parts of New Englamd and from Canada, and men were employed to collect them at so much a head, and deliver them at the factories At the time the Lowell cotton mills were started the caste of the factory girl was the lowest among the employments of women. In England and in France, partscularly, great injustice had been done to her real character. She was repecsented as subjected to influences that must destroy her purity and self-respect. In the eyes of her overseer she was but a brute, a slave, to be beaten pinched and pushed about. It was to overcome this prcjudice that such high wapes had been offered to women that they might be induced to become mill girls, in spite of the opprobrium that still clung to this degrading oocupatiom.. The early mill girls were of different ages. Some were not over ten years oldl: a few were in mddle lie, but the majority were between the ages of sixteen and twenty five. The very young girls were called "dotfers. They "doffed, or took off, the full bobbins from the spinning-frames, and replaced them with empty ones. These mites worked about fifteem mimutes every hour and the rest of the time was their own. When the overseer was kind they were allowed to read, knit, oe go outside the mill yard to play They were paid two dollars a week. The working hours of all the girls extended from five oclock in the morning until seven in tho evening, with one halthour cach, for breakfast and dinner. Even the doffers were forced to be on duty nearly fourteen hours a day This was the greatest hardship in the lives of these children. Several years later a ten-hour law was passed, but not until long after some of these little doffers were old enough to appear before the legislative committice on the subject, and plecad, by their peesence, for a reduction of the hours of labor Those of the mill girls who had homes generally worked from eight to ten months in the year, the rest of the time was spent with parents or Eriends. A few taught school during the summer months. Their life in the factory was made pleasant to them. In those days there was no need of advocating the doctrine of the proper relation between employer and employed. Help was too valuahle to be ill freated.. The most prevailing incentive to laber was to secure the means of education for some male member of the family. To make a gennleman of a brother or a son, to give him a college education, was the dominant thought in the minds of a great many of the better class of mill girls. I have known more than one to give every cent of her wages, month aftler month, to her brother, that h might get the education necessary to enter some profession. I have known a mother to work years in this way fo her boy. I have known women to edacate young men by their carnings, who were not soms or relatives. There are many men now living who wer helped to an edacation by the wages of the early mill gils It is well to digress here a little, and speak of the influence the possession of moncy had on the characters of some of these women. We can hardly realize what a change the cotten factory made in the status of the working women Hitherto woeman had always been a money saving rather than a money eaming, member of the community. Her labor could command but small return If she worked out as servant, or "help."ber wages were from 50 cents to $1 00 a weck: or, if she went from house to house by the day so spin and weave, or do tailor work, she could get but 75 cents a week and her meals. As teacher, her services were not in demand, and the arts, the professions, and even the trades and industrics, were nearly all closed to her As late as 1840 there were only seven vecatioes outside the home into which the women of New England had emered. At this time woman had no property rights A widow could be left without her share of her husband's (or the family) property, an incumbrance" to his estate. A Eather could make his will without reference to his daughter's share of the inheritance. He usually left her a home on the farm as long as she remained single. A womsan was not supposed to be capable of spending her own, or of using other people's moncy. In Massachusetts, before 1840, a woman could not, legally, be treasurer of heT Ou sewing society unless some man were responsible for her. The law took no cognizance of woman as a money-spendet. She was a ward, an appendage, a relict. Thus it happened that if a woman did not choose to marry, or, when left a widow, to remarry, she had no choice but to enter one of the few employments open to her, oe to become a burden on the charity of some relative One of the finst strikes that ever Sook place in this country was in Lowell in 1836 When it was anmounced that the wapes were to be cut down, great indignation was felt, and it was decided to strike or "turn our" en-masse. This was done. The mills were shut down, and the girls went from thcir several corporations in procession to the grove on Chapel Hill, and listened to incendiary specches from some early labor reformers. One of the girls stood on a pump and gave vent to the foelings of her companions in a necat speech, declaring that it was their duty to resist all attempes at cutting down the wages. This was the first time a woman had spoken in public in Lowell, and the event caused surprise and constemation among her audience

Explanation / Answer

1. Harriet Hanson Robinson is the writer. It was published Aug 1997.

2. Most Girls didn't wanted to be mill girls as the caste of the factory girl was the lowest among the employments of women. Great injustice was being done to their real character. The activities destroyed her purity and self respect.

3. They were paid $2 a week.

4. The girls were not allowed to spend on their own. A woman could not legibilly be treasurer of her own society.

5. The works such as sewing, tailoring, spinning, weaving and working as a servant were the options available to them.

6. After the announcement that wages where do be cut down there was a strike due to which mills were shut down and girls went from their several corporations in procession to the Grove on Chapel Hill.
No it was not successful

7. The strike was important to get paid fairly and equally.

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