미국 산업화 과정에 나타난 여성 노동의식의 성장과 참정권 운동

The Growth of Female Labor Consciousness and Suffrage Movement in Industrializing America

The primary purpose of this study is to explore the growth of female labor unionism and women’s suffrage movement in American history. In so doing, this paper attempts to examine the experiences of the factory girls in New England, where the industrial revolution took place. The period of 1800-1850 was one in which decisive changes occurred in the status of American women. The middle class women could use their newly gained time for leisure pursuits. The working class women, on the other hand, experienced the economic opportunities as well as economic hardships. The solidarity among factory girls contributed to the growth of the female labor unionism. When their wages were cut and work hours lengthened, factory girls came together in opposition the owners, and staged some of the earliest industrial strikes in American history. They became the first self-conscious laborers in America. Along the way, working women realized that the vote was the best way to gain more political power for their causes.