The Industrial Revolution in North Carolina North Carolina’s Industries

Industry #1: Textile Mills What? The definition of textile is a woven or knit cloth. Textile mills basically dealt with weaving and spinning cotton. Where? These mills were located all over the state.

Mills looked basically like factories…

Looms filled the mills wall to wall…

At first, mill owners employed skilled men, but later, they employed women and children because their hands were smaller and they could be paid less.

This led to forced child labor in unsafe conditions…

Children sometimes worked 12+ hours, seven days/week.

Furman Owens, 12 years old. Can’t read/write and doesn’t know his A,B,Cs. He said, “I want to learn but can’t when I work all the time.” He has been working in the mills since age 8.

Unknown girl; 4 ft. 3in. tall. When asked how old she was she replied, “I don’t remember. I’m not old enough to work, but do just the same.” Works 12+ hours for 48 cents/day.

Two Main Tobacco Companies: Industry #2: Tobacco Two Main Tobacco Companies: R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. in Salem (now Winston Salem); led by R.J. Reynolds American Tobacco Company in Durham; led by Washington Duke

Industry #3: Furniture Two Main Cities: High Point Thomasville

Problems in Education: Schools were only required to stay open for 4 months and service children 6-12 years old. In many classrooms the only reading material was the Bible. Many children did not attend because they worked 12+ hours in the mills. As time progressed, the school year was lengthened to 6 months and more high schools were built.

Racism in the Courts

“Jim Crow” Laws “Jim Crow” laws were laws that aimed to separate white and black people in public places. This separation was known as segregation.

Supreme Court Ruling In the case of Plessy vs. Ferguson (1896), the Supreme Court ruled that “Separate but Equal” was legal “Separate but Equal” means that it was legal to have separate facilities for white and black people as long as they were of the same quality. This law would carry on for almost 100 years.