In 1821, executives of the Boston Manufacturing enterprise established a cotton mill at East Chelmsford, Massachusetts. Francis Cabot Lowell's invention of the power loom made it inherent to transform raw cotton into complete fabric all within the same factory. In 1826, the town's name was changed to Lowell in his honor.
At that time, Lowell had 2500 residents. By 1836, it was the site of eight large textile mills, and the citizen had swelled to 17,000. 7500 of that whole were textile workers, ninety percent of whom were girls.
Japanese School Girls
By the second quarter of the 1800s, an midpoint girl was complete with her formal education, if any, by the age of ten, and there were few respectable ways for a girl to earn money. She could hire herself out as a domestic for less than a dollar a week. She could set up her own enterprise as a seamstress, or she could teach school--but only in the summer. While the regular school year, that position was reserved for men. Failing all that, she faced a life of domestic chores and farm work until, hopefully, she might find a man and come to be a wife and mother.
Agents of the cotton mills traveled the New England countryside, recruiting Yankee farm girls. They flocked to Lowell by the thousands, attracted by the wages offered and the chance to be independent, but that was a fleeting wish. Their revenue were most often used to send their brothers to college or to save the house farm by paying off debts.
The girls would live in company-owned boarding houses, where they would be served nutritious meals. There were typically eight per room and two per bed. Their activities would be regulated by a "house mother," and curfews would be implemented.
Upon accepting the job, the girl signed a contract, promising to obey all rules and regulations. They agreed to work at the mill for at least one year. The agent waited while the girl packed her belongings and said goodbye to her family. And then, they began the trip to Lowell.
Nothing was mentioned about the fourteen-hour workday, and an further eight hours on Saturday. The rules at the boarding house and in the premise were very strict. A girl was expected to be prompt to work and at meals, and to attend church every Sunday. Every aspect of her life was controlled by the mill.
The tall tower bell at every mill rang at 4:30 a.m. As a wake up call. By the next bell, the girls had to be at their workstations. After working for two hours, the bell rang for breakfast, then again to return to work. They were allowed 45 minutes for dinner, the largest meal of the day. At 6:30 p.m. The bell signaled quitting time. The last bell of the day sounded lights out at 10 p.m.
Starting wages were .00 per week, but could go as high as .00. Probably half that whole was deducted for room and board. Sometimes a girl might be lucky enough to save a little for her dowry.
A young girl started in the premise as a "doffer." She was in charge of changing the bobbins on the spinning machines. She had to be small enough to maneuver nearby the machines, and she was paid a little less than the older girls.
They were required to wear a hairnet while working, but the rule was poorly enforced, and some girls were wounded or killed when their hair got caught in the machinery. There was no remedy at the time for the hearing loss caused by the constant roar of dozens of machines running all at once.
Windows in the factories were nailed shut, and the humidity had to be kept high enough so the cotton wouldn't dry out and snap in the looms. Damp dust and lint were enduringly being inhaled by the workers. Many of the girls suffered from lung ailments, such as inflammation, strangeness breathing, and a hoarse cough.
From 1840 to 1845, these girls published a journal entitled "The Lowell Offering," in which they called concentration to the long workdays and the poor working conditions.
In 1844, there were 362 deaths in the mills, 200 of which were children under ten years of age. The mill girls began to believe that their jobs were ruining their widespread health. They formed the "Factory Girls' Association," and staged a strike. Thousands of girls walked out of the mills in Lowell. They were subsequently evicted from their boarding houses and were running out of money. After thirty days, they returned to work.
When the Civil War began in 1861, the era of the "mill girl" was over. Impoverished European immigrants--Irish, Russians, and Poles--eagerly agreed to work longer hours for less pay.
Most of the Lowell Mill girls went home. But they left a legacy. Other mills in New England went on strike, and succeeded in decreasing hours, increasing wages, and enhancing working conditions.
Girls, who had left home to help their families, showed the way for future generations of women to gain financial independence. They were true pioneers in the fight for women's rights.
Note: Come back to see future articles about the private contributions of three of the Lowell Mill Girls.
The Lowell Mill Girls
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