Railroads in the 19th Century
Labor in the Nineteenth Century
2. A. The Lowell Mills Strike of 1834 took place in Lowell, Massachusetts in 1834. The dominant work force in the Lowell Mills were young, rural, unmarried women. Working in the Lowell Mills was dangerous because the machinery could easily injure a young girl if she made a simple mistake. Also the women worked long hours with little pay. Despite these treacherous conditions there was sense of unity among the women who all came from similar backgrounds. In 1834, the economy took a turn for the worse and the Lowell Mill owners cut wages by 15-20%. Harriet Robinson led the women on the basis that “Union is Power” and held meetings to fight for higher pay. The mill owners fired the leaders of the protests which resulted in the remaining women to go on strike in the streets. The strikes, however, had little impact on the mill owners because textiles had slow down in the market due to overproduction. The strikes failed as women returned back to work within a few days with the reduced pay. Despite the strikes failure, it was significant because it set an example for future actions against mill owners. The strike also was significant in women rights because women stepped forward and fought against wrongdoing.
B. The 1877 Railroad Strike was the first major railroad strike in American history. The strike occurred in Martinsburg, Virginia and was led by Monroe Heath. It began on July 14, 1877 and lasted 45 days until September 4, 1877. There was numerous causes that led to the Great Railroad Strike. After the Panic of 1873 a “bitterness” between workers and the masters evolved. In 1877, 10% wage cuts, distrust of capitalists such as Jay Cooke's firm, which were building new tracks in lands not yet cleared and not settled by grants and loans, and horrible working conditions led to the railroad strikes. In response to these issues workers refused to “allow any stock to roll.” The strikes spread throughout many states. In VA,
2. A. The Lowell Mills Strike of 1834 took place in Lowell, Massachusetts in 1834. The dominant work force in the Lowell Mills were young, rural, unmarried women. Working in the Lowell Mills was dangerous because the machinery could easily injure a young girl if she made a simple mistake. Also the women worked long hours with little pay. Despite these treacherous conditions there was sense of unity among the women who all came from similar backgrounds. In 1834, the economy took a turn for the worse and the Lowell Mill owners cut wages by 15-20%. Harriet Robinson led the women on the basis that “Union is Power” and held meetings to fight for higher pay. The mill owners fired the leaders of the protests which resulted in the remaining women to go on strike in the streets. The strikes, however, had little impact on the mill owners because textiles had slow down in the market due to overproduction. The strikes failed as women returned back to work within a few days with the reduced pay. Despite the strikes failure, it was significant because it set an example for future actions against mill owners. The strike also was significant in women rights because women stepped forward and fought against wrongdoing.
B. The 1877 Railroad Strike was the first major railroad strike in American history. The strike occurred in Martinsburg, Virginia and was led by Monroe Heath. It began on July 14, 1877 and lasted 45 days until September 4, 1877. There was numerous causes that led to the Great Railroad Strike. After the Panic of 1873 a “bitterness” between workers and the masters evolved. In 1877, 10% wage cuts, distrust of capitalists such as Jay Cooke's firm, which were building new tracks in lands not yet cleared and not settled by grants and loans, and horrible working conditions led to the railroad strikes. In response to these issues workers refused to “allow any stock to roll.” The strikes spread throughout many states. In VA,