The Dawn of Women's Rights

In class, we have been discussing mill life in both the U.S. and England during the 1800’s. One particular aspect we have focused on is why women thought that working in the mill was an appealing occupation, while they had other opportunities in their life. In England, it was not all that difficult for the mills to gain workers. During the Industrial Revolution, there were many women living in poverty, who could be used as cheap labor. There wasn’t a lot of extra land available for families to farm. However, in the U.S., there were not as many in the same predicament, and families could simply move west if they needed more land for farming. Due to this, the mill owners in the U.S. had to make working in the mill look more appealing than life on the farm, and change the negative perceptions that England’s mills were looked upon with.

Girls were so appealing to mill owners because they were cheap, obedient, and not as needed on family farms. The way that mill owners attempted to bring female workers in was to make working at the mill look like a family dynamic. The father figure that the girls would have was the corporation, which would protect the women, and set rules such as church on Sunday, curfew and behavior code. There would also be a boardinghouse keeper, who would act as a mother figure. She would regulate behavior outside of the mill and maintain the home environment. Girls themselves were motivated to work in the mills because of the independence, and the chance to earn money and buy things for themselves. For example, in the video, “Daughters of Free Men”, Lucy, the narrator, was excited by the opportunity to buy herself a “city dress”. Families still needed money, so a girl working at the mill could send money home, and by not being home, she would not have to be fed and have money be spent on her.

Before women were working in the mills, their sole purpose was to marry, have children, and start a family on the farm. However, by having women work in manufacturing, general perceptions of women changed. By working outside of their home, being away from their parents and being educated, women had more power than ever before. In “Daughters of Free Men”, the mill girls went on strike to protest against the poor working conditions they had. This symbolizes the general power that women were gaining, and women were starting to realize they could make a difference. After working in the mills, many women went on to become activists for women’s rights, and women began working different jobs that wouldn’t have been socially acceptable before.