Episode 31: Brown Lung and Blow Outs: The First Mills and Millworkers in New England

Thank you to our sponsor, Quiltfolk! Visit Quiltfolk.com and use code HandmadeHistory for 20% off your first order.

When Francis Cabot Lowell built the first end-to-end cotton mill in Waltham, MA, he needed workers. Instead of hiring children, like many other factory workers (horrifying), he hired women. The farmers' daughters of New England flocked to mill towns and for the first time ever, made their own money. A decade or so later, many of the New England natives worked alongside Irish immigrants--the first immigrant labor force to work in sizeable numbers in the mills.

As you gear up to celebrate St. Patrick's Day this year, listen in to learn about:

What it was really like to work in a mill: Poetry pasted on windows--nailed shut
What the women who worked in the mills had to say about their days in letters home and poetry of their own
Libraries and Lyceum halls: How mill workers spent their free time (reading!!!)
The first mill worker-edited and owned magazine
The Great Famine in Ireland and the harrowing journey many Irish emigrants took to New England towns
The origin of the word "blow out" to mean a really big party--and what it was celebrating

We think we've uncovered our funnest facts yet in this one, so grab your handcraft of choice and tune in!

Show notes and sources here: https://tinyurl.com/4wy52zze

Have a question, comment, or idea for a future episode? Email us at handmadehistoryhosts@gmail.com.

Find links, images, and more on the free blog post for this episode; visit our Patreon page at patreon.com/handmadehistorypodcast.

Or visit our website at handmadehistorypodcast.com for more information.

Tämä jakso on lisätty Podme-palveluun avoimen RSS-syötteen kautta eikä se ole Podmen omaa tuotantoa. Siksi jakso saattaa sisältää mainontaa.

Jaksot(39)

Bonus Episode 3: A Chat with Jane Healey, author of The Saturday Evening Girls Club, a novel

Join us for a very special bonus episode! Alicia sat down to chat with Jane Healey, the author of The Saturday Evening Girls Club, a novel set in the early 1900s. The SEGC was a real club that launche...

27 Touko 20min

Episode 36: Laura Ashley, Iconic Designer & Company

If you were a 90s kid (like Alicia was) or the little sister of a 90s kid (like Sonia was), chances are Laura Ashley influenced your bedroom design. Laura Ashley, born Laura Mountney in Wales in 1925,...

25 Touko 20min

Episode 35: A Sampler of Samplers from Around the World

Close your eyes and picture a sampler. We bet you are picturing a cross-stitched design with an alphabet on it. This type of sampler is quite common in England and North America, but there are many ot...

11 Touko 22min

Episode 34: The Saturday Evening Girls and Paul Revere Pottery, Icons of the Arts & Crafts Movement

The Saturday Evening Girls began as a story hour in Boston's North End at a trade school for young people--and quickly grew into something more. This episode is sponsored by our Patreon Patrons. Thank...

27 Huhti 23min

Episode 33: Sports Gear, from Baseball Caps to the Sports Bra Seen Round the World

When you think of sports gear, what do you imagine? Stretchy synthetic fabric, baseball caps with stiff brims, huarache sandals... ...yes! Join us as we talk sports gear from head to toe, and share de...

13 Huhti 21min

Bonus Episode 2: A Conversation with Author Anne H. Putnam about Breakups & Mending

In this bonus episode, Alicia chats with author Anne H. Putnam about her newest book, Make Do and Mend, a breakup memoir. Grab your favorite handcraft and listen in to learn about kintsugi, the Japane...

6 Huhti 28min

Episode 32: A Select History of Early Knitting Machines

This episode is sponsored by our Patreon Patrons. Thank you! And a special thank you to Emily for supporting the show! We invite you to sign up to our Patreon at any level. Free members get a blog pos...

30 Maalis 21min