Chapter 13 – The Industrial North 13.2 – Changes in Working Life

Before steam engines, mills ran on water power

Rhode Island System practice of hiring families and dividing factory work into simple tasks Slater was the first to do this “Men with growing families wanted.” No resistance to this because children had worked on farms previously

developed by Francis Cabot Lowell Lowell System developed by Francis Cabot Lowell hired young unmarried women from local farms to work in his factories had clean factories and boardinghouses for the girls to stay Lowell Girls young female mill workers paid between $2-4 each week $1.25 for room and board Lowell System

Better wages than any other job for girls at the time Advantages Disadvantages Better wages than any other job for girls at the time Chance to earn a living away from home Free time to take class and form clubs 12-14 hour workday Daily life controlled Forced to work harder and faster to keep up with better technology Health problems

Trade Unions Problem: Pay decreased and conditions worsened Immigrants willing to work for less Pay decreased and conditions worsened Tried to improve pay and working conditions Skilled workers AND factory workers protest Unions disliked by factory owners

Strikes A refusal to work until employer meets demands Not very successful at first…

Labor Reform Efforts Sarah Bagley founded the Lowell Female Labor Reform Association This made the struggles of factory laborers public Want: shorter working hours – 10 Hour Day Reform Results: – some states passed 10 hour workday laws, but long hours remained common