America had to find a solution to the problem of processing their nation’s cotton produced in the southern states after import ties had been severed with Britain following the Embargo of 1807 and the War of 1812. A group of investors known as the Boston Associates decided to create textile factories in New England that could process all phases of cotton production. According to Eric Foner, “by 1850, the factory town of Lowell was booming with fifty two cotton mills.” Its female labor force was comprised of young unmarried women from New England farming families. The company built boarding houses for these laborers, where they lived together after toiling endless hours in the cotton mills. The companies established and enforced strict rules for their young laborers, which virtually controlled their lives on and off the company clock. As a result of their shared work experiences and the opportunity to communicate with each other in the boarding houses, a sisterhood developed, which eventually grew into a women’s labor movement.
The first wave of female mill laborers welcomed the idea that they could leave home and earn money, which would allow them to become more independent members of society. Through their written correspondence with family and friends, it is indicated that life in the mills although strictly regimented was somewhat tolerable. The numerous word misspellings and grammatical errors in a notable percentage of the archived letters suggest a low level of education. For women in the early eighteen hundreds, their gender roles were set by a patriarchal society. They could expect lives that centered within the home taking care of husbands and children. It seems reasonable that the option of working in the cotton mills would appeal to a certain number of young women at that time who perhaps desired more than such lives of forced domesticity. According to Eric Foner, “most valued the opportunity to earn money independently at a time when few other jobs were open to women.”
Mill workers like Matilda Clark confessed their homesickness, discontent with heavy toil, and strict company rules. As she writes to her friend Amanda Lunt it is easily ascertained that life in the Lowell mills is anything but liberating:
WRITTEN BY MATILDA CLARK1 TO AMANDA S. LUNT2
Lowell3 Oct 8th 1848
Dear Amanda,
I dar say you will be surprised to know that I am in Lowell but I am very homesick and think I shall not stay very long when I got to Boston I found business very dull and my sister Mary, there she wanted me to go to Lowell and here I am now writing to you on the bank of the Concord river a beautiful little stream that runs by the house it is a very pleasant situation but fore all that I am not contented I want to see you very much with all the rest of the family. I should like to here from you very much how the school comes on and all about the folks thare whare Abner4 is and how he mad out Catching Mackril. I have been in the mill to work. I do not like it at all and I expect all of you are glad of it for I might stayt at home and I wish I had I hope your mothers5 is as good as comon I have often thought of her since I have left your home. I had a good time in Bost I stayd thare over fortnight I have no time to write more I suppose you will get this next spring.
write as soon as you receive this
From your friend Matilda
Two documents that caused such frustration and discontent in the Lowell Mill female labor force included the boarding house rules and factory rules as follows:
HAMILTON COMPANY – BOARDINGHOUSE RULES FROM THE HANDBOOK TO LOWELL, 1848
REGULATIONS FOR THE BOARDINGHOUSES of the Hamilton Manufacturing Company. The tenants of the boarding-houses are not to board, or permit any part of their houses to be occupied by any person, except those in the employ of the company, without special permission.
They will be considered answerable for any improper conduct in their houses, and are not to permit their boarders to have company at unseasonable hours.
The doors must be closed at ten o'clock in the evening, and no person admitted after that time, without some reasonable excuse.
The keepers of the boardinghouses must give an account of the number, names and employment of their boarders, when required, and report the names of such as are guilty of any improper conduct, or are not in the as are guilty of any improper conduct, or are not in the regular habit of attending public worship.
The buildings, and yards about them, must be kept clean and in good order; and if they are injured, other-wise than from ordinary use, all necessary repairs will be made, and charged to the occupant.
The sidewalks, also, in front of the houses, must be kept clean, and free from snow, which must be removed from them immediately after it has ceased falling; if neglected, it will be removed by the company at the expense of the tenant.
It is desirable that the families of those who live in the houses, as well as the boarders, who have not had the kine pox, [smallpox] should be vaccinated, which will be done at the expense of the company, for such as wish it.
Some suitable chamber in the house must be reserved, and appropriated for the use of the sick, so that others may not be under the necessity of sleeping in the same room.
JOHN AVERY, Agent.
HAMILTON COMPANY - FACTORY RULES FROM THE HANDBOOK TO LOWELL, 1848
REGULATIONS TO BE OBSERVED by all persons employed in the factories of the Hamilton Manufacturing Company. The overseers are to be always in their rooms at the starting of the mill, and not absent unnecessarily during working hours. They are to see that all those employed in their rooms, are in their places in due season, and keep a correct account of their time and work. They may grant leave of absence to those employed under them, when they have spare hands to supply their places, and not otherwise, except in cases of absolute necessity.
All persons in the employ of the Hamilton Manufacturing Company are to observe the regulations of the room where they are employed. They are not to be absent from their work without the consent of the over-seer, except in cases of sickness, and then t hey are to send him word of the cause of their absence. They are to board in one of the houses of the company and give information at the counting room, where they board, when they begin, or, whenever they change their boarding place; and are to observe t he regulations of their boarding-house.
Those intending to leave the employment of the company are to give at least two weeks' notice thereof to their overseer.
All persons entering into the employment of the company are considered as engaged for twelve months, and those who leave sooner, or do not comply with all these regulations, will not be entitled to a regular discharge.
The company will not employ any one who is habitually absent from public worship on the Sabbath, or known to be guilty of immorality.
A physician will attend once in every month at the counting-room, to vaccinate all who may need it, free of expense.
Any one who shall take from the mills or the yard, any yarn, cloth or other article belonging to the company, will be considered guilty of stealing and be liable to prosecution.
Payment will be made monthly, including board and wages. The accounts will be made up to the last Saturday but one in every month, and paid in the course of the following week.
These regulations are considered part of the contract, with which all persons entering into the employment of the Hamilton Manufacturing Company, engage to comply.
JOHN AVERY, Agent.
In addition, the daily timetable of bell ringings signaling when and for what duration to wake, eat, work, and sleep created growing irritation. As Eric Foner states, "the constant supervision of the worker's private lives seems impossibly restrictive."
As a result, Lowell Mill laborers began striking against their long work days, low wages, and poor working conditions such as unsafe equipment, poor lighting, and foul air. Although it was an uphill battle going against the powerful cotton mill companies, what their efforts proved is that united they had a stronger voice.
http://library.uml.edu/clh/mo.htm#list
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Monday, March 1, 2010
How the Cotton Gin Saved the South and Slavery
In the late 18th century, the only variety of cotton that could grow on southern inland farms was one that produced sticky green seeds, which resulted in a labor intensive system whereby the seeds had to be handpicked from the cotton balls. This physical labor style seed removal process was time consuming. As a result, the cotton industry for these farmers was on the brink of economic disaster. Since the tobacco industry during this time period was declining do to surplus production and soil exhaustion, it was vital that these southern colonial farmers find a sollution to their cotton problem. Even though the slave labor itself was free, slaves had to be purchased, clothed, fed, and given shelter, which added to the farmers' overhead.
The primary source is Eli Whitney's patent for his invention of the cotton gin. It tells us that late 18th century southern inland farmers had an agricultural problem with cotton, and the invention of the cotton gin was a viable solution. Furthermore, it reveals that Whitney was trying to make money from his invention. According to an article in Teaching with Documents, "Whitney knew that if he could invent such a machine, he could apply to the federal government for a patent. If granted, he would have exclusive rights to his invention for 14 years, and he could hope to reap a handsome profit from it." If benevolence was Whitney's primary motive, he would have published the instuctions on how to build his cotton gin and distributed them to all southern farmers. In a letter to his father in regard to his invention, Whitney writes, "Tis generally said by those who know anything about it, that I shall make a fortune by it."
Whitney learned of the necessity for a machine that could separate the sticky green seeds from the cotton from a widow woman named Katherine Greene. According to the online publication Inventor of the Week, "Greene invited him to stay at her plantation, Mulbery Grove, in Georgia where she thought he might make himself useful." As a mechanical engineer and Yale graduate, Whitney was more than up to the task. Within a short period of time, he disigned and built a working model of his cotton gin. It was made out of wood and metal. Inventor Profile states, "After perfecting his machine, he filed an application for a patent on June 20, 1793; in February 1794 he deposited a model at the Patent Office, and on March 14, 1794 he received his patent."
Information about patent legislation is outlined in an article through the national archives, which states, The Patent Bill of 1790 enabled the government to patent any useful art, manufacture, engine, machine, or device, or any instrument then no before known or used. Whitney's cotton gin was a mechanical divice. The Patent Act of 1793 gave the secretary of state the power to issue a patent to anyone who presented working drawings, a written description, a model, and paid an application fee.
However, the article further states, "patenting an invention and making a profit from it are two different things." Whitney and his partner planned to charge the southern inland colonial farmers two fifthe of the profit paid to them in cotton. The desperate farmers resorted to implementing pirated versions of Whitney's design. Despite costly lawsuits that devoured their capital against these farmers, by 1797, Whitney's company was out of business. Congress rejected his renewal for patent in 1812. In Whitney's words upon leaving the south forever in 1804, "An invention can be so valuable as to be worthless to the inventor."
Although Whitney never realized his fortune for inventing the cotton gin, the cotton gin saved the south's economy and its investment in slavery. Whitney's invention worked and worked well. It solved the sticky green seed problem for the southern colonial farmers. That being the case, more farmers wanted to plant this lucrative crop. More cotton meant more slaves were needed to plant, grow, harvest, and gin it. In addition to an increase in slave labor, an increase in land was needed to grow it. As a result, eight more slave states were added bringing the total to 15 slave states by 1860.
Sources:
www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?doc=14#
http://www.archives.gov/
http://www.mit.edu/
http://www.wikipedia.org/
The primary source is Eli Whitney's patent for his invention of the cotton gin. It tells us that late 18th century southern inland farmers had an agricultural problem with cotton, and the invention of the cotton gin was a viable solution. Furthermore, it reveals that Whitney was trying to make money from his invention. According to an article in Teaching with Documents, "Whitney knew that if he could invent such a machine, he could apply to the federal government for a patent. If granted, he would have exclusive rights to his invention for 14 years, and he could hope to reap a handsome profit from it." If benevolence was Whitney's primary motive, he would have published the instuctions on how to build his cotton gin and distributed them to all southern farmers. In a letter to his father in regard to his invention, Whitney writes, "Tis generally said by those who know anything about it, that I shall make a fortune by it."
Whitney learned of the necessity for a machine that could separate the sticky green seeds from the cotton from a widow woman named Katherine Greene. According to the online publication Inventor of the Week, "Greene invited him to stay at her plantation, Mulbery Grove, in Georgia where she thought he might make himself useful." As a mechanical engineer and Yale graduate, Whitney was more than up to the task. Within a short period of time, he disigned and built a working model of his cotton gin. It was made out of wood and metal. Inventor Profile states, "After perfecting his machine, he filed an application for a patent on June 20, 1793; in February 1794 he deposited a model at the Patent Office, and on March 14, 1794 he received his patent."
Information about patent legislation is outlined in an article through the national archives, which states, The Patent Bill of 1790 enabled the government to patent any useful art, manufacture, engine, machine, or device, or any instrument then no before known or used. Whitney's cotton gin was a mechanical divice. The Patent Act of 1793 gave the secretary of state the power to issue a patent to anyone who presented working drawings, a written description, a model, and paid an application fee.
However, the article further states, "patenting an invention and making a profit from it are two different things." Whitney and his partner planned to charge the southern inland colonial farmers two fifthe of the profit paid to them in cotton. The desperate farmers resorted to implementing pirated versions of Whitney's design. Despite costly lawsuits that devoured their capital against these farmers, by 1797, Whitney's company was out of business. Congress rejected his renewal for patent in 1812. In Whitney's words upon leaving the south forever in 1804, "An invention can be so valuable as to be worthless to the inventor."
Although Whitney never realized his fortune for inventing the cotton gin, the cotton gin saved the south's economy and its investment in slavery. Whitney's invention worked and worked well. It solved the sticky green seed problem for the southern colonial farmers. That being the case, more farmers wanted to plant this lucrative crop. More cotton meant more slaves were needed to plant, grow, harvest, and gin it. In addition to an increase in slave labor, an increase in land was needed to grow it. As a result, eight more slave states were added bringing the total to 15 slave states by 1860.
Sources:
www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?doc=14#
http://www.archives.gov/
http://www.mit.edu/
http://www.wikipedia.org/
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