Although textile mills created thousands of jobs, the conditions in which the workers had to deal with were horrific. It was often hot and humid with no ventilation, which caused people to pass out. "Today at the factory, my friend Rachel Lincoln passed out from all the humidity in the air. Rachel had been coughing all week and we told her to tell the company owners that she was getting sick from the poor working conditions." - Mary Washington. People often would get hurt in the dangerous machinery, but would be forced to keep working in order to keep their job. "I also hurt my finger on the loom. A lady patched it up and I went back to work." - Mary Washington.
Workers often had to work long hours with very little pay. They would also get severely punished, and get money docked from their pay, if the were not on time."
Self Employment Tax Form - Schedule SE
Mary Washington's House
English: Members of the Lowell Spinners warm up in...At Lowell there were similar strikes when management cut pay or sped up the work" - chnm.gmu.edu. If workers complained about their low pay or long hours they would be punished or fired. Eventually workers went on strikes and started Unions to help in the fight for better pay and cleaner working facilities. It also became prohibited for children under the age of eighteen to work more than 10 hours a day.
http://chnm.gmu.edu/courses/jackson/mill/people.html http://inquiryunlimited.org/bk/sbks/jh/textilesjh.html
English: Weaving machine (Brandname Draper) in The...
Mill Building (now museum), Lowell, Massachusetts.
Official seal of City of Lowell