Factories
The first factory in the US was built after George Washington became president. From then until the time of the Civil War there were over 1200 cotton factories and 1500 woolen factories in the United States. These factories were meant to drive people from rural areas to the cities where factories were located. During the 1840’s, the population of the country as a whole increased by 36%. Towns and cities with the population of 8,000 increased by 90%.
The factory life was tedious, but many women enjoyed a sense of independence they had not known on the farm. At the time, the wages were also about three times more than that of a domestic servant.
Working Conditions in General:
80% of society was made up by the working class, and they had little to no power bargaining with their employees. People from other countries heard about jobs and land available in the United States, so millions of immigrants were coming from all over believing they could have a better life in the United States. They worked in coal mines, factories, and steel mills, but only about half the population had full time employment. Many of these unemployed workers were skilled workers, such as hand weavers, whose talents became useless because they couldn’t compete with the new machines making the same things at a faster rate.
From the 1970s to the 1840s working conditions were tough, and sometimes tragic, since each industry had safety hazards making it easy for accidents to happen regularly. Most employees worked 10-14 hours a day, 6 days a week with no paid vacations or holidays.
In Factories:
Factory workers spent 10-14 hours a day working in a factory with little breaks, near heavy and dangerous machinery, causing accidents frequently. These workers were exposed to fumes and toxins which damaged lungs and made many people sick, but factory owners did not care because there were always other workers who would be willing to take their place. Since it was not difficult to work in a factory and many families needed more money to live, many children worked in factories. Since they were small, many of them were in charge of moving between factory machines. Since many children were working to help their families survive, they did not have time to go to school and get an education. So, these children could not read or write, making it impossible to acquire the skills necessary to attain better jobs.
http://www.ushistory.org/us/25d.asp