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Question

Difficulty: EasyMarket Revolution: Social and Demographic Changes

In the early nineteenth century, New England textile manufacturers developed the Lowell system to organize factory labor. Which of the following groups constituted the primary workforce under this system?

  1. Young, unmarried women from rural New England familiesAnswer
  2. B
    Enslaved African Americans leased from Southern plantations
  3. C
    Indentured servants bound by long-term labor contracts
  4. D
    Newly arrived families of German immigrants seeking agricultural land

Answer

Young, unmarried women from rural New England families
The Lowell system was a factory system designed to recruit young, unmarried women from rural New England farms to work in textile mills. The factory owners provided them with wages, supervised boardinghouses, and educational opportunities, which represented a significant demographic shift in the industrial workforce.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the question stem to identify the key term.
The key term is the Lowell system of New England textile manufacturing in the early nineteenth century.
This establishes the historical context and the specific labor system being evaluated.
2
Recall the defining characteristics of the Lowell system workforce.
The Lowell system was characterized by employing young, unmarried women ('mill girls') from rural farms who lived in factory-owned boardinghouses.
This allows comparison with the provided options to find the correct match.

Key Concept

The Lowell system and its reliance on young, rural women as factory labor during the Market Revolution.
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Topics

Market Revolution: Social and Demographic Changes

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