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.

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