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Female Millworkers And The Mechanization Of Textile Production: The Boston Manufacturing Company Of Waltham, Massachusetts, 1813 To 1822, Lois Bayer Gonzales

American Studies ETDs

When the Boston Manufacturing Company of Waltham, Massachusetts developed mechanized cotton textile production between 1850 and 1821, female millworkers had the opportunity to gain mechanical expertise and utilize it to overcome low wages and subordination. Since management systematically used the two mills to test new machine designs, female operatives played an important role in evaluating and improving industrial technology.

This study follows the development of machinery and women's careers as revealed in the company's surviving payroll ledgers. To identify the social characteristics of the work force, the majority of the 616 millworkers employed between 1817 to 1822 were traced to …