Country girls were naturally independent, and the feeling that at this new work the few hours they had of everyday leisure were entirely their own was a satisfaction to them. They preferred it to going out as "hired help." It was like a young man's pleasure in entering upon business for himself. Girls had never tried that experiment before, and they liked it.
Questions:
1. Why did young rural women like the idea of working in factories?
2. Imagine that you are a teenage girl growing up on a New England farm in the mid-1800s. Would you be tempted to work in a factory? Why or why not?
Click here to print. Answers will vary.
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