Lowell Mill Girls

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The Lowell Mill Girls
A Mill girl was a term used to describe the young women of Yankee aged between 15 and 30 years who worked in Lowell’s cotton factories. Unlike other young girls, these mill girls also called factory operatives used to be daughters of free men whose rights remained protected from abuse by authority “The Mill Girls 1). In those times, in the 19th century, women held textile jobs in Lowell. As a mill girl, one was expected to leave their families and subject themselves to a life of sacrifices and unwavering determination.
For these girls, leaving their families and farms was a good idea since they were able to acquire a sense of independence and saved money through their wages. For instance, many girls left their rural villages to work in cotton mills. There, they produced cotton and wool products such as shoes for sale. They would be paid later according to pieces one produced. Socially, fathers were the heads of the property and households whereas the other family members divided the daily chores and also seasonal tasks. Mothers and their daughters did domestic duties. Including cooking, cleaning, and making clothes. Therefore, girls’ life was difficult and went to the mill gave them freedom and opportunities to acquire property. Also, they joined religious institutions, education and recreational activities which they could have never achieved in their small villages. In no doubt, this improved their lives.
Despite such promising nature of being a mill girl, life did not seem easy for them even after leaving home due to the challenges they faced.

For example, in the boardinghouse, there were enforced curfews and strict rules that they were to follow. There were bells which summoned them in and out of the mills. They had worked overtime (about 12-14 hours) in a day and until midday on Saturdays (“The Mill Girls” 2). Also, Casey (2) reveals that they had to share rooms where three women slept 2 in one single bed. These are conditions that these girls were not used to at home.
Despite these challenges I would have enjoyed being at the mill this is because in the boardinghouse they got three meals a day, there was a fireplace provided for colder seasons, and they formed new friendships achieved education and had recreational activities they would never have experienced back. In my opinion, I would have enjoyed the life of a mill girl because it made me independent and earned wages rather than staying at home doing chores all day.
In conclusion, above there I have explained who the Lowell mill girls were, reasons why leaving their families was a right decision and also why despite the challenges I would have preferred life as a mill girl.
Works Cited
“The Mill Girls,” Lowell National Historical Park. The U.S. Department of the Interior, Lowell, 2015. Internet resource. Retrieved from https://www.nps.gov/lowe/planyourvisit/upload/mill%20girls.pdf
Casey, Colleen G. “Lowell Mill Girls.” YouTube, 2010, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkJwOYagvuI. Accessed 23 Oct 2018.