Lowell system of industrial organization
E686567
The Lowell system of industrial organization was a 19th-century American factory model that combined mechanized textile production with regimented labor practices, especially for young women workers housed in company-run boardinghouses.
Observed surface forms (1)
| Surface form | Occurrences |
|---|---|
| Lowell system of factory labor | 1 |
Statements (56)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
factory system
ⓘ
industrial system ⓘ labor system ⓘ textile manufacturing model ⓘ |
| associatedWith |
Boston Manufacturing Company
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Lowell Female Labor Reform Association NERFINISHED ⓘ Lowell mills NERFINISHED ⓘ early labor protests ⓘ |
| basedOn | mechanized textile production ⓘ |
| contrastedWith |
British factory system
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Rhode Island system NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| country |
United States of America
ⓘ
surface form:
United States
|
| declineBegan | 1840s ⓘ |
| declineCause |
increased use of immigrant labor
ⓘ
wage cuts and speed‑ups ⓘ |
| developedAt | Lowell, Massachusetts NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| developedIn |
19th century
ⓘ
early 19th century ⓘ |
| emergedAs | model of early American industrialization ⓘ |
| feature |
boardinghouse matrons as supervisors
ⓘ
centralized factory production ⓘ closely supervised workforce ⓘ company‑run boardinghouses ⓘ company‑sponsored cultural activities ⓘ company‑sponsored educational activities ⓘ corporate ownership of mills ⓘ curfews for workers ⓘ division of labor ⓘ mandatory church attendance for workers ⓘ moral regulation of workers ⓘ paternalistic labor management ⓘ power loom use ⓘ regimented work schedules ⓘ rules governing visitors and social life ⓘ strict factory discipline ⓘ time‑clock based labor control ⓘ |
| goal |
attract respectable young women workers
ⓘ
avoid formation of permanent urban working class at first ⓘ combine industrial efficiency with social control ⓘ reassure parents about daughters’ safety ⓘ |
| historicalSignificance |
early example of large‑scale employment of women in industry
ⓘ
illustrates paternalistic capitalism ⓘ illustrates transition from household to factory production ⓘ important case in history of labor relations in the United States ⓘ |
| industry | textile industry ⓘ |
| influenced | subsequent American factory organization ⓘ |
| laborForce |
Lowell mill girls
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
unmarried farm daughters ⓘ young women workers ⓘ |
| laborRecruitmentFrom |
rural New England
ⓘ
small farming communities ⓘ |
| wageSystem | cash wages paid to women workers ⓘ |
| wageSystem | deductions for room and board ⓘ |
| workingDaysPerWeek | six‑day workweek ⓘ |
| workingHours |
long workdays
ⓘ
typically 12 to 14 hours per day ⓘ |
Referenced by (2)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.
this entity surface form:
Lowell system of factory labor