In the late 1700’s to early 1800’s the Industrial Revolution started and began to rapidly spread. Mills and factories’ additions to the economy are what fueled the Revolution itself, and it would not have been possible without them. Women are to thank for making up the majority of the work force inside the mills and allowing them to run smoothly. As more women began to migrate to the Lowell mills, society's attitude toward them began to change.
Farm girls and their families were convinced to go work in the mills by owners of the factories themselves who described the opportunities the mills offered for them. For some, they went so their family would have one less mouth to feed as well as an additional paycheck every month to help support them. Others went so they could save money for a dowry they would use to get married and become a proper women with a family. Other women and girls went to the mills to save to get an education so they could get a greater job later in life. No matter the specific reason for going, the majority of women were motivated to go to the mills to get beyond the limits of farm life. They saw the mills as a step towards greater independence.
Once at the mills, the girls would have to face the costs and downsides of the mill if they wanted the benefits. They would have to work long grueling days in which they did not receive any gratitude or praise for within the community. In the new middle class that was forming the idea of “Separate Spheres” between men and women was established. “Separate Spheres” constituted the idea that men were made to go into the harsh conditions of the work force while women were supposed to stay in the more gentle environment of taking care of the home and family. This idea made many people view women working in the mills to be “unladylike” and less respectable.
Women first went on strike in 1834 to protest the wage cuts made in the Lowell mills, as well as to stop threats of losing their increasing independence. Mill owners and observers were taken by surprise. They did not expect the women to lash out like this, but instead of acknowledging them they continued to ignore them and treat them as unequals. Mill owners got more women to replace them from the countrysides. In 1836 people were forced to pay attention to the women when they went on strike again after mill owners tried to lower wages. This time they knew what to do. They all joined together and were strategic about every action. They got whole mills to shut down until most owners admitted defeat and raised the wages.
The women in the mills forced everyone to look at them and see what they were capable of. Their strength and community made it possible for them to unite and successfully get the results they wanted. After their achievement people payed attention to what they did and learned from it. Journeymen began to work together to form the first trade unions to protect their own independence. Although the mill women would still not be allowed to be a part of these unions and they did not start women’s rights, they got people’s attitudes toward them to shift slightly for the better. They justified their working in an unladylike mill and got a small percentage of the community to appreciate their actions. They were able to take a step away from restricted farm life towards their independence.
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