Francis Cabot Lowell a businessman from New England, completely changed the textile
industry in the Northeast. Waltham Massachusetts is where Lowell's first textile mill opened in
1813. The textile mills were water powered and the system included a loom that could both
spin thread and weave cloth in the same mill. The Lowell system created a new way to control
the labor supply. The mill hired young, single women, between the ages of 15 and 35. The work
within these factories were performed by young adult women instead of children or young men.
The Lowell girls stayed in boardinghouses at the rate of $1.25 for room and board after
completion of their daily work. The mills paid them $2 to $4 per week.
In order to attract young ladies to leave their ranches and residential communities to
work at the plants, Lowell made a factory community by building boardinghouses that were
controlled by chaperones who implemented strict codes and he additionally made participation
of religious services mandatory, according to the book The Encyclopedia of the War of 1812: A
Political, Social, and Military History:
The Lowell System required hiring of young (usually single) women between the ages of
15 and 35. Single women were chosen because they could be paid less than men, thus
increasing corporate profits, and because they could be more easily controlled then men. These
mill girls, as they were called, were required to live in company-owned dormitories adjacent to
the mill and were expected to adhere to the rather strict moral code of conduct espoused by
Lowell. They were supervised by older women, called matrons, and were expected to work
diligently and attend church and educational classes. The young women would work a grueling
80-hour work week. Lowell believed his system alleviated the deplorable working conditions he
witnessed in England and helped him to keep a tight rein on his employees. By doing so, he
cultivated employee loyalty, kept wages low, and assured his stockholders accelerating profits.
Although Lowell’s labor arrangement was highly discriminatory and paternalistic compared to
modern standards, it was seen as revolutionary in its day. A large number of young mill girls
went on to become librarians, teachers, social workers, etc., thanks in large part to the
education they received while working at the mill; thus, the system did produce benefits for the
workers and the larger society.