Struggle for Equal Work Essay - 627 Words

Struggle for Equal Work The development of the Lowell Mills in the 1820s provided American women with their first opportunity to work outside the home with reasonable wages and relatively safe work. About ten years later however, working in the mills wasn’t the same. Working conditions became more vigorous, the mills were unsafe and the pay received didn’t match the amount of work done. The Lowell family’s textile mills were set up to attract the unmarried daughters of farm families, hoping that they would work a few years before getting married. These young women were called â€Å"Lowell Mill Girls.† A typical working day in the mills started with a factory bell ringing at about four in the morning to wake up employees. After this, employees†¦show more content†¦Conditions in the mills during the 1830s were terrible. Lighting was a problem in the mills causing the workers to strain their eyes to see what they were doing. This was to make sure they were working productively and to avoid injuries from tools or machinery. Comfort wasn’t something women were used to while working in the mills, especially in the boarding houses where they stayed. Unmarried women who worked in the Lowell mills lived in boarding houses within the area. A widow was usually the supervisor in these places and was responsible for the moral and physical well being of the girls. The women were required to pay about a dollar a week to live there and the money was taken directly out of their paychecks. About 30 women lived in the boarding houses with about six living in each room. The rooms, which had three beds, were poorly ventilated, overcrowded, lacked privacy and infested with rats and roaches. â€Å"A 1930s mill worker said, â€Å"In vain do I try to soar in fancy and imagination above the dull reality around me but beyond the roof of the factory I cannot rise.† Women today would not stand for these conditions. We live in a world today where women hold just the same jobs as men. Work such as in the textile industry wouldn’t be a popular job to fill since there are so many opportunities today. Women are still struggling for equal pay in some situations, but overall, workingShow MoreRelatedBillie Jean King725 Words   |  3 Pagesstart also. After working around the neighborhood to earn the money for her first racket, Billie Jean King overcame many obstacles along with great personal struggles to become the best professional tennis player of her time. One of the biggest things that she pushed for in her career was equal pay for men and women in sports. This was a struggle for her as she had trouble paying for her tennis. 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