Spin Sisters

This study examines the nature and the transformation of the Lowell textile factory in early 19th century America. In New England, the rise of textile manufacturing along the major rivers of Massachusetts created work for a predominantly female labor force. Increasing numbers of young single women migrated into Lowell to participate in the workplace. There were various motivations for young girls to come to the mill factories. Some girls began to work in factories in order to support their families back home, while others had the personal motives, including social, economic and educational benefits. By taking these new jobs the girls chose not only to work outside their homes, but also to leave their families and live in a totally different environment. The mill girls experienced a new urban setting in sharp contrast to the farming communities where they grew up. Along with cultural conflicts, they had to adjust to the new boardinghouse system. In many ways, boardinghouse life provided the social context in which newcomers to Lowell made their first adjustment to urban, industrial life. The “paternalistic controls” established by the boardinghouses replaced the strict controls previously exercised by the mill girls’ yeoman fathers. Kinship and family ties also played a major role in the young girl's adaptation to an urban economic setting. The continuing bonds with family and relatives were strengthened by an active correspondence. The mill girls also experienced a sense of sisterhood with the other working girls who shared the happiness and sorrows of their factory lives. The experiences at the mill factory provided a contrast to the impact of industrial capitalism. Factory girls suffered from the exploitation of labor, including long working hours and low pay as well as changes in the standards and methods of work. At the same time, they experienced economic and social independence. These working girls came to form a close community and contributed to the rise of collective labor protesting. The Lowell factory women’s lives and experiences in the textile industry provide a somewhat new perspective in early 19th century American society.