American History

At the end of the 18th century, there were observable changes in Europe. These changes marked the onset of the industrial revolution which altered greatly how factories were operated. Industrialization first emerged in Great Britain where technological advancements had been made especially in the operation of machines. They would later be used to increase the production of goods with less effort. This paper addresses the developments of the American workers during industrialization with close reference to the role played by Lowell, Massachusetts.

It is indicated that the industrialization period led to the development of numerous factories and corporations in Lowell, Massachusetts.1The textile industry was greatly affected as the workers who had been previously employed lost their jobs.  Factory owners embraced industrialization and sought to enrich themselves. Workers left in the factories were expected to run the machines while the displaced ones were left without work.

1. Harriet, Robinson, H, Early Factory Labor in New England, Wright Potter, Boston, 1883, in Paul, Halsall, Internet Modern History Source book, 1997. Retrieved on 11th March 2010 from, httpwww.fordham.eduhalsallmodrobinson-lowell.html

Also, the displaced workers were forced to move to urban areas in search of work. No provisions were made for their loss.

Workers who retained their jobs worked under very bad conditions as they continuously toiled to the benefit of the factory owners. Women working in the factories endured harsh conditions especially with the long hours they had to put in.2Industrialization introduced the use of machines in carrying out most of the factory processes. These machines were normally run by steam engines which caused the workrooms to heat up. Working under great heat was quite uncomfortable for workers and was made worse by the long periods of time that they had to work. The workers endured this for at least twelve hours in a day and they left physically exhausted. This could go on throughout the week up to six days. All this work was rewarded with very low wages.

Factory owners hired women and children for their unskilled labor as it was affordable. For children working in the factories, they ended up falling ill and dying from the exposure to the machines toxic fumes. There was no room for the provision of care and safety for the women and children in the factory. The hazardous chemicals they inhaled left women infertile, the men also developed severe health conditions. Other health hazards came from the disturbing noise from factory machines. Most workers had their hearing damaged and the young ones experienced disabilities from their close operation of the machines.

2. Gray, Fitzsimons, Mill Life in Lowell 1820-1880 Introduction, In Center for Lowell History, University of Massachusetts Lowell Libraries. Retrieved on 11th March 2010 from, httplibweb.uml.educlhmo.htm

Apart from the health hazards in the factories, the factory working place had become dangerous due to the machines. Most of the workers had not been trained to operate the machines and the new technology proved to be risky.

Since most of the machines had not been fenced off, workers became exposed to the sharp and moving sections of the machines while working. Also, the machines occupied large spaces and workers had very little working room.

With little room for movement while working, children were expected to move between the machines as they were the only ones who could fit in between. These dangers led to many workers injuries and even high death rates. More so, since the workers worked under physically exhaustive conditions, they ended up slow and less alert which increased the risk for injuries. Indeed the working conditions had not improved with industrialization. Factory workers had lost their freedom as laborers and were subjected to restrictive and highly demanding tasks with low wages. The repetitive factory work often bored and tired workers easily while the long working hours made it impossible for them to accommodate more jobs.

Prior to industrialization, young women had no form of employment. The introduction of the textile mill factories gave women employment in a society which regarded women as inferior. The prospect of earning a wage was not to be of benefit to these young women. They were not considered as people who should earn or even spend money. Therefore, they moved to work in these factories with the incentive of earning enough money for the education of other male members of the society. Despite this, these women were considered appropriate for factory work by most factory owners.

Factory owners employed young girls mainly because they found them to be of us in the intricate work which required agile and nimble fingers. This way, they could easily operate spinning machines. In addition, young women provided cheap and unskilled labor which was what factory owners wanted. This would increase their output and reduce the expenses they had to spend on workers wages. Another reason which made young women suitable for factory work employment was their inferior position in the society during those times. Both women and children were seen as amicable workers who could easily follow orders. As obedient workers women would not question their working conditions as it was not there place to do so. Instead, they were there to be beaten and pushed around. There were no accommodations made for the young women and regardless of their age and sex they had to endure the long working hours and harsh working conditions.

Although, later years saw the creation of laws to govern the workers conditions, it had not always been the case. Factory workers were not protected by any laws and this left great room for their exploitation by factory owners. 1834 and 1836 were the years when women strikes were seen from the Lowell Mill factory workers where they protested the harsh working conditions.3The most labor difficulties involved the low wages they received and the threats for having the same reduced was taken as unfair and oppressive. They were already experiencing hardships as a result of wages as house rents were on the increase. The conditions in the factories did not improve and most workers found their lives in the factories to be oppressive. Dissatisfied with their circumstances, workers resulted to labor unrests.

3. Catherine, Lavender, Lowell Mill Girls and the Rhetoric of Womens Labor Unrest, The Department of History, The College of Staten Island of The City University of New York, 1997. Retrieved on 11th March 2010 from, httpwww.library.csi.cuny.edudepthistorylavenderlowstr.html

In conclusion, American workers have developed over time and industrialization contributed greatly to this development. Industrialization introduced better ways of processing products in various industries while it also led to the decline of the American work force. Workers conditions deteriorated and as seen in Lowell Mills, women resulted to strikes in protest of the labor difficulties. This later founded labor laws which would protect factory workers and have continued to do so in recent times.