"In 1831, the Lowell mills were in active operation... Help was in great demand, and stories were told all over the country of the new factory place, and the high wages that were offered... The laws of the boardinghouses were very strict... No girl was allowed to be out after ten o'clock at night."
— Harriet Hanson Robinson, Loom and Spindle, describing her experiences in the 1830s
Which of the following was a major social effect of the industrial growth described in the excerpt?
- Young, single women from rural families temporarily left their homes to work in textile mills.Answer
- BThe immediate passage of the Fourteenth Amendment to guarantee equal pay for female factory workers.
- CA return to home-based manufacturing as the dominant method of domestic goods production.
- DThe rapid decline of urban populations as families moved to rural areas to escape factory labor.
Answer
Young, single women from rural families temporarily left their homes to work in textile mills.
The growth of the factory system, particularly in places like Lowell, Massachusetts, created new opportunities for young, single women from rural areas to work outside the home for wages. While these women worked under strict supervision and lived in regulated boardinghouses, it marked a significant social shift from traditional agrarian household labor.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
The social and labor impacts of the Market Revolution, specifically the employment of women in the factory system.