7 Important Facts About Lowell Mill Girls

Lowell Mill Girls During the Industrial Revolution

The term “Lowell Mill Girls” was coined during the Industrial Revolution of the United States. By 1840, they made up the majority of the Lowell textile workers.

Ages 18 – 35

These women were young, between the ages of 18 and 35. There were over 8000 workers in the mid-1840’s.

Challenging Gender Stereotypes

These workers were independent women earning their own wages, which they often used for independence as well as to help out other family members such as brothers to pay for college.

Difficult Factory Conditions

These women worked in very sub-par conditions, upwards of 70 hours a week in grueling environments.  The air was very hot in these rooms that were full of machines that generated heat, the air quality was poor, and the windows were often closed.

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Voracious Readers

Although they had little time for relaxation and entertainment during the week, many of the workers used the Lowell library to read books and also circulated novels among themselves.

Strikes

One of their strikes helped reduce the work day by 30 minutes, but they were unsuccessful getting the work day reduced to 10 hour days. It was extremely impressive that these women came together to form the Lowell Female Labor Reform Association and concentrate their efforts to organizing.

Women As Capable

Overall, these women proved to the world at large that women were capable of physical labor, diligence and leadership in the workplace, and the ability to come together and organize.