Economic advantages to hiring women
For industries, hiring women meant more money. On average, factory owners could pay women less than half of what they would have to pay for a man. Additionally, their slender hands, ability to multitask, and eagerness to work were great advantages to have in a growing industrial age. Women were getting their first tastes of true equality, and they did not want to risk losing it. Therefore they, like a child who received their favorite toy, treasured it. Women were enthralled with even the concept of being paid for any of the work they did, because previously, they were given nothing. This made women work hard with little incentive, and hard workers were always desired in industrial factories. When new workers would start to work in the factories, women would prove to be very good teachers as they themselves did their work as well. The workers were needed to be in order to fully manage the factory work, and with workers like women, the chances of a uprising were lower, so long as they were paid and not overly worked.
Wages for women and the introduction of Woman Associations
The average amount of money women made weekly was around three dollars, while men made six. However, women were not paid the least amount of money, as children were paid only about a dollar per week. Despite being paid half of what a man would make, the very fact that women were making money was critical to the road of equal rights. It was the start of women gaining rights, that was the start to gaining all of the others. The moment making money was achievable for women, women sought bigger things, such as an even higher education, property rights and shorter working hours during the week. When women realized that they were being taken advantage of in the work place, they went on massive strikes and let their voice be heard. They started to be very active in labor unions and organizations to show that they too, could make as much of a difference as a man. Aside from making a Female Anti-Slavery Societies made in the 1830s, they also founded organizations such as The American Suffrage Association,The Woman's Christian Temperance Union, the Lowell Female Reform Association and even a National Woman's Party. The National Woman's Party, seen in the photograph, was very active in speaking for woman's rights. On the banner it reads: "No self respecting woman should wish or work for the success of a party that ignores her sex." This shows how strongly women felt men should give them rights, and acknowledge that they are just as capable as they are.
Women continue take a stand
Now that woman were making money, women started to realize it was their right as Americans to gain more freedoms and pursue happiness. When Lowell Mills cut wages and increased hours, and their strikes would not work, the "mill girls took their concerns to the political arena". A determined woman by the name of Sarah Bagley "founded the Lowell Labor Reform Society to petition the Massachusetts state legislature for a ten hour workday." In the picture to the left is the Lowell Labor Reform Society, holding a sign that reads: "American ladies will not be slaves". Despite other workers fighting other factories for the same issue, the proposal failed. However, it did manage to take down a legislator who was not in favor of the bill. As the 1830s and 1840s continued to enforce gruesomely horrid working conditions with long hours, more and more workers started to strike. Women went on strike alongside men, as workers, to shorten work days to at least ten hours, and to increase pay. The women's unions and associations also were working on allowing women to own property and vote, which women would vocally call out as well. As more and more women took a stand, men started to realize that life and traditional customs were changing. Woman's rights became a much more heated and controversial topic than ever before, especially comparing it to before the factories popped up all over the Northern United States. Rights for women were slowly but surely starting to come alive, all due to the Industrial Revolution giving them actual occupations in the workforce.