| Lowell Mill Girls Strikes Reading with Questions |
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| Click here to print (PDF file). The answers are below. The Lowell textile strike, also known as the Lowell Mill Girls Strike, was a significant early labor protest in American history. It took place in 1834 and again in 1836 in Lowell, Massachusetts, one of the first planned industrial cities in the United States. The city was home to large textile mills that employed thousands of young women, known as the "Lowell Mill Girls," who had moved from rural areas seeking economic opportunity. In 1834, the first strike occurred when mill owners announced a 15% wage cut. The women organized protests, walked off the job, and formed committees to demand fair wages. Although the strike was ultimately unsuccessful in reversing the wage cut, it marked a bold assertion of labor rights at a time when women had little voice in public life. A poem composed by the young women for the 1834 strike: Let oppression shrug her shoulders, And a haughty tyrant frown, And little upstart Ignorance, In mockery look down. Yet I value not the feeble threats Of Tories in disguise, While the flag of Independence O'er our noble nation flies. Two years later, in 1836, another strike erupted--this time in response to increased boarding house rents, which effectively reduced workers' take-home pay. This second strike was larger and more organized. The Lowell Mill Girls formed the Factory Girls' Association, one of the earliest labor unions for women in the U.S. While the strike again failed to bring about immediate change, it contributed to the growing labor movement and inspired future efforts for workers' rights. The Lowell strikes highlighted issues such as long working hours, poor living conditions, and unfair wages. More importantly, they demonstrated that working women could organize and protest collectively. These early actions laid the foundation for future labor reforms, including shorter workdays and improved factory conditions. Though not immediately successful, the Lowell textile strikes remain important examples of early industrial protest and women’s activism in American labor history. They underscored the growing tensions between industrial employers and workers and the emergence of organized labor in the United States. Answer the questions based on the text and your knowledge of social studies. 1. What was the immediate cause of the first mill strike in 1834? 15% wage cut 2. What organization was formed by the young women mill workers in 1836? Factory Girls' Association 3. Name three important issues that the Lowell Mill Girls fought against. long working hours, poor living conditions, and unfair wages 4. Imagine that you are a seventeen-year-old girl working at a Lowell mill in the 1830s. How might you react to your conditions? Answers will vary |
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