Christeena
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"Rustic and ungainly though the mill girls were when they first arrived in Lowell and other corporation towns, they brought with them a spirit of independence and a sense of equality with any man that resisted all attempts to proletarianize them." They stood together as an union when mill owners tried to snatch their rights away from them.When mill owners tried to impose their harsh minds on these Girls, they reacted through strikes.
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Through all the unions and committees, factory workers gain courage to express their needs and opinions for the unfavorable acts of the owners. In 1833, 1500 mill girls refused to work and walked out of the factory to protest against wage reduction, but this strike was unsuccessful.
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Most of all the Lowell strikes were based on their need for better working conditions and high pays. Whenever the strikes failed they were not able to work in any of the factories, and their places will be taken over by immigrants willing to work for lower wage.
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Bread and Roses strike in 1912 was another popular strike by the Lowell girls. This strike included both mill girls and male immigrants who wanted better working conditions, and high pay. On January 11th in Lawrence Massachusetts this strike began, when workers found that their pays wages have been cut down. At the beginning few people performed strikes which then followed by many other workers about 25,000.
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Later on March 12th, the American Woolen Company accepted the demands of the worker, which increased their pay up to 15%, and double pay for over time.
James Oppenheim wrote a poem about Bread and Roses, and the workers sang this song.
Click here to listen to Bread and Roses
James Oppenheim wrote a poem about Bread and Roses, and the workers sang this song.
Click here to listen to Bread and Roses