The Changing WorkplaceChapter 8-4

Women work in homes

Cottage industry: goods produced at home finished goods brought to manufacturer Replaced by power looms (decreased time and

lowered costs)

Early 19th century work

Artisans worked in shops attached to homes

Master: most experienced artisan Journeyman: skilled worker – master’s

assistant Apprentice: young worker learning skills

Factories lowered costs & let unskilled workers make goods rather than trained artisans

“mill girls” = unmarried farm girls who worked in textile factories

Lowell Mill: Women were paid less than men – but working

in a mill paid more than other careers for women

5am- 7:30pm work day Factories badly ventilated = illness &

discomfort

Farm to Factory

Strike: a work stoppage designed to force an employer to respond to workers’ demands

Lowell strikes: mainly because of wage cuts 1834: 800 mill girls 1836: 1,600+ mill girls 1845: Lowell Female Labor Reform Association

founded

Strikes

Employers won most strikes in 1830s and 1840s – could easily replace unskilled workers

Strikebreakers: mostly immigrants who worked long hours for low wages

Trades unions designed to standardize wages and conditions in each industry

National Trades’ Union: largest union formed by trade unions that united to form federations (lasted until 1837) Fought for common goals Hard to organize together because courts said

strikes were illegal

Unions

1830-1860: increase in European immigration 1845-1854: 3 million immigrants came to US

(mostly German & Irish) 1815-1844: almost1 million Irish immigrants

Great Potato Famine 1845-1854: killed 1 million Irish and caused another million to come to US Irish were hated (Catholic, poor, worked for

extremely low wages and horrible conditions)

Immigration Increases

Supported workers’ rights to strike (upheld rights of labor)

20,000+ workers were involved in strikes for better working conditions and wages by 1860

Commonwealth v. Hunt1842