By Rachel Mollozzi, Gabe Demmings, & Yaneth Mota

 This was the first journal written by female mill workers.  A young girl in the mill wrote about “Susan Miller” and how she saved her family’s farm by working in textile mills in Massachusetts.  A few decades earlier, work outside the home was impossible for women. As women’s roles began to expand, changes occurred in the way goods were made.

 The cottage industry system was a system in which manufactures made the materials for you to make your own clothes.  In the early 19 th century, all clothing was made at home. In the 1830’s, a company made by Francis Cabot Lowell formed eight factories in Massachusetts with over 6,000 employees, at an investment over six million dollars.  The beginning of companies, like Lowell’s industry, was revolutionized by the rapid spread of factories.  With these companies, the cost of household items and clothing dropped. Also, people who were not trained were able to use new machines that did the same job as trained artisans.  Therefore, with the introduction of factories, it made the American lifestyle easier overall.

 Work force consisted of mostly unmarried women  Lived in mills that were in New England  Women were monitored as they completed their tasks, attended church, and had to have good behavior.  In 1828, women were part of the workers in the mills of New England that made up 9/10 of it, most of them were not even at the age of 30.

 The owner of the mills preferred women because they payed them low wages.  Textile jobs were the most well paid jobs.  Many girls didn’t stay in the mills for long; they moved on and became something more efficient and moved to higher jobs.  Harriet Hanson Robinson was a great example. She was involved in the abolition of women’s rights and she applauded all of the mill girls.