Lowell Mill Girls

A group of workers who come together with the goal of gaining higher wages and better working conditions.

• factories

• unions

• financial institutions

Some ​ ​ (a)   while working at the factories included pain, ​ (b)   , and ​ (c)   workdays.

• hazards
• disease
• 13-14 hours

Who were the "Mill Girls"?

• female workers who came to work for the textile corporations in Lowell

• responsible for winding-up windmills on farms

How did New England's textile industry affect women?

• New technologies required men to work far from their wives and families.

• The need for unskilled labor provided low-paying factory jobs for young girls.

• Young women were paid high wages because of their weaving and sewing skills.

• The jobs in this field were considered "men's work," and women were not hired.

How did New England's textile industry affect both children and women?

• Allowed them to earn a living wage until the age of 25

• Gave them opportunities not available on family farms

• Permitted them to complete their schooling

• Provided long-term employment even after marriage

Who helped launch the factory system in the United States?

• Eli Whitney

• Samuel Slater

• Francis Cabot Lowell

• Henry Ford

3. Why did factory owners like to hire women?

• Because they worked harder than men

• Because they could pay them less than men

• To help women enter the workforce

• To meet government regulations

Match the following

• 10

• the number of hours a day desired by the workers

• 13-14

• the number of hours a day currently worked in the factories

• petition

• a formal written request made to an authority or organized body

  a written request or call for change signed by many people in support of a shared cause or concern

• women

• try to acquire or develop

• cultivate

• A large proportion of the Lowell workers