Women in the Lowell Mills

The Lowell Experiment was a way to convince girls to come to work in Lowell, and also for their family to allow them to come. Mill owners assured the families that the girls would maintain morality and dignity while working in Lowell.

The “Lucy Hall” video showed how the women were motivated to go work in the Lowell Mills, and also the benefits and costs of their decision. The mill workers used the promise of a mother and father figure for the women when they went to work in Lowell which really persuaded the families. One of the many benefits was the women were paid for working, which would not only allow them to save money but also it helped their family back home. Another benefit was the women were being educated while working in Lowell. To add on to the benefits, the women were making friends like for example Lucy made a good friend, Harriet, who made her feel very welcomed in Lowell. One drawback for the families was once the girls left, they would have less help on the farm, but overall the benefits overruled the costs.

These opportunities for women and also the restrictions on their working lives reflect attitudes towards women in the 1800’s. The women gained major independence by working in the mills and they were important because they produced high demand goods. This showed all people that women deserved a better role in society, which is stated in the document “Labor in Lowell’. When wage cuts hit, the women went on strike and stood up to mill owners and this changed the attitude towards women immensely. All of a sudden, women became “important” and their voice mattered, their independence changed other people’s outlooks on them in the 1800’s.