Working in the Mills
Optional audio recording of the text on this page.
Working in the Mills.mp3It's time to learn your job.
Secondary Source
In the book Lyddie, when Lyddie enters the mill for the first time, her senses are assaulted by the sights, noise, and heavy air of the room.
“Creation! What a noise! Clatter and clack, great shuddering moans, groans, creaks, and rattles. The shrieks and whistles of huge leather belts on wheels. And when her brain cleared enough, Lyddie saw through the murky air row upon row of machines, eerily like the old hand loom in Quaker Steven’s house, but as unlike as a nightmare, for these creatures had come to life. They seemed moved by eyes alone—the eyes of neat, vigilant young women—needing only the occasional, swift intervention of a human hand to keep them clattering.”
weaveroom walk-through.mp4Click on the video to take a walk through the Boott Cotton Mills weave room.
Working in a mill is dangerous, and occasionally workers are injured or killed. The air is hot and humid and filled with cotton dust. Breathing the dust all day causes many working women to experience lung problems. On occasion, workers are injured by moving parts on the machines. In this letter to her father, mill girl Mary Paul describes what happened to some workers during one particularly bad week.
Primary Document
"I am well which is one comfort. My life and health are spared while others are cut off. Last Thursday one girl fell down and broke her neck which caused instant death. She was going in or coming out of the mill and slipped down it being very icy. The same day a man was killed by the [railroad] cars. Another had nearly all of his ribs broken. Another was nearly killed by falling down and having a bale of cotton fall on him. "
Working in the Mills Questions
Pull out your paper and pencil and answer the questions below. Later, you will transfer your answers to a Google Form to submit them to your teacher.
Based on Lyddie and Mary Paul's descriptions of working in the mills, what do you think are some safety measures that the mills could put into place to protect the workers?