Lowell Mill Girls Essay Example

(Harriet, 2011). As the magazine grew more popular, women started contributing fiction, essays, poems, and ballads (Flanagan, 2006). Through their literary works, women used characters to report on their life situations and conditions. The Lowell Offering featured both farcical and serious content (Harriet, 2011).Initially in 1834, female workers received good wages from their employers. However, due to economic depression, the Board of Directors proposed a 15 percent reduction in pay. In response, the female workers protested through strikes and turn-outs. Some women even withdrew their savings, causing a local bank crisis. Despite their efforts, the protest was unsuccessful and the workers returned to their jobs with lower wages. The strike demonstrated the determination of the Lowell female workers to engage in labor action. In 1836, another strike was organized when the Board of Directors suggested raising rent for workers living in boarding houses. After the strike, the rent hike was officially cancelled. Then, in 1845, the Lowell female textile employees established the Lowell Female Labor Reform Association to advocate for better working conditions, improved living quarters, and shorter work hours. As part of their efforts, the association published the Voice of Industry newspaper.The organizing efforts of the Lowell girls were notable for their political framework, which aimed to appeal to the public. They framed their struggle for better pay and shorter work days as a matter of personal dignity and rights. To emphasize their cause, they aligned themselves with the context of the American Revolution (Harriet, 2011). This large female labor force in Lowell was intended to challenge the prejudice against women in their society (Harriet, 2011). However, the female workers faced various problems such

as reduced wages, poor living conditions, higher rent, and long work days (Flanagan, 2006). These challenges compelled the women to organize protests through strikes or turn-outs as a means of asserting their rights. Additionally, they expressed their thoughts and emotions through literary works including fiction, essays, poems, and ballads (Flanagan, 2006).