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Women In The Industrial Revolution

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Women and the Industrial Revolution
Harriet Robinson, who worked as a factory worker in Lowell, once wrote in her autobiography that “[mill life] lets...[society] see the women as active participants in their own lives” (Halsall 2). Nothing could be more true. Lowell, Massachusetts, a city filled with mills powered by the Merrimack River, became the country’s dream- a place where industry and economy flourished (“At the Clang”). As with Lowell, girls from New England flocked to mills and factories in search of a better life and new opportunities (“At the Clang”). Although some may claim that factory life was a negative experience and hurt the mill girls, it is clear that the Industrial Revolution impacted the lives of American workers in a positive way, for they gained more independence, stood up for their rights, and, overall, were able to become more informed by working in factories and mills …show more content…
Though others may claim that factory life affected workers in a negative way, it is clear that the increase in industry and factories not only affected the economy, but also the lives of the workers themselves by bringing about more change and opportunities during the Industrial Revolution. Not only did women gain more opportunities, but the aftermath of the mill girls’ experiences sent ripples through time, guaranteeing a future of women wholly and completely independent, confident, and educated, roots that still penetrate our society today. As events as recent as political protests and as far back as campaigning suffragettes come to show, our citizens, male and female alike, grew up on the backs of factory workers, who, like our country today, embodied a dream of hope for a better lifestyle and happiness, only unlocked by the bustling cities and factories of the 19th

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