Rag Tag Research Paper

Have you ever wondered what it's like to work in a factory? Imagine dust, lint, smoke, and noise all in one crowded room. This is what Lyddie Worthen in the book, Lyddie, by Katherine Paterson has to face. Lyddie has faced many hardships when working in the factory. Lyddie is a young girl who is sent off to work to pay the debts for her family. Lyddie was fired from her first job and went to Lowell, Massachusetts to be a factory girl. When working, there are poor working conditions. Other workers have started a petition to improve the working conditions. Lyddie should not sign the petition because she is mentally strong and is getting paid well.

In 1879 Henry George wrote an article titled “Progress and Poverty”. In this article he discussed the ongoing industry and he stated that “the wealthy class is becoming more wealthy; but the poorer class is becoming more dependent.

The Industrial Revolution brought about a more advanced era with lasting effects. Due to these effects, we can live easier, more comfortable lives that last longer and are, in comparison, far better. Some of these effects are still evident today. However, not all of them were positive, nor were all of them negative. While some might argue that Industrialization had primarily negative consequences for society because of poor living and working conditions, it was actually a positive thing for society. Industrialization’s positive effects included better business, a ready workforce, and more efficient machines, production, and transportation.

When their work do not affect their “health and personal development or interfere with their schooling,” they do not fit the negative notion of child labor (ILO, 1996). Children sometimes assist their parents with housework and take a part in building family businesses without their working hours affecting primary education. This is indeed a beneficial experience for children, because they learn to be productive within their communities. On the other hand, ILO (1996) applies the term child labor when work “is mentally, physically, socially or morally dangerous and harmful to children; and interferes with their schooling by; depriving them of the opportunity to attend school; obliging them to leave school prematurely; or requiring them to attempt to combine school attendance with excessively long and heavy work.” When child labor is engaged in enslavement, separation from families, and misplacement of children on the streets, ILO experts refer to it as the most extreme forms of child

The working conditions of the new arrivals were hardly any better, as employees of factories were often overworked, underpaid, and penned up in dangerous conditions. Perhaps the horrors of these conditions can be highlighted by the devastating 1911 fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York City. Tragically, over one hundred young women lost their lives in the fire, as there was no way to get out, and the doors were locked, trapping the women inside. Safety was not the only problem, as workers initially were not given the right to organize into unions, essentially doomed to the repetitive motions of factory operation. This meant that they had no way to protest against child labor, wage slavery, and unhealthily long working hours. Eventually, with their growing clout and ever-present industrial dependence on their labor, workers organized and demanded reform along all aspects of hazardous working conditions.

If we try to change our working futures as individuals, we will never have the best lives we are capable of having, but if we unite as a union to stand up for what we believe in, we can successfully, positively define our futures. Without the union, the working citizens will always be treated like animals, but with the union, workers can one day be treated appropriately. One way in which the union will improve workers’ lives is by giving benefits, which means a worker take a day off of work without getting fired. This also means if someone happened to get hurt on the job, they could take as much time off as they needed, without their position being replaced. Furthermore, the union will secure workers with less working hours, so they have more time to spend with family and doing personal interests. Along with these examples of what the union will do, it will provide numerous other benefits not mentioned. Together, if we unite as one, we can create a higher quality and optimistic working future through the

In the early to mid. 19th century, the world came to life with the introduction of machines that could create products in hours, compared to what it would take skilled craftsmen days to produce. These marvels began in Europe but soon found their way to the American shores. The very first textile mill was produced by an apprentice named Samuel Slater in 1790 after returning with the English secrets of the textile machinery still buzzing in his head (Wallace, 1985). Soon more factories began to rise up armed with the new technology. With the means to produce more products, railroads being built to ship vast amounts of goods between states and the mass amounts of wealth to be made during this revolution, what were once small rural farming towns

Nearly each advancement we made contributed to the continuous rising of our economy. The extreme increase among jobs contributed to America’s wealth and money, there was a significant drop in homelessness, and families were allowed to live comfortably. “The image in document three shows that factories will begin showing up in small towns and villages” (Document 3). Now that there are more facilities to work, there are more jobs available for the common man. Previously there was only farming, but companies began moving into villages, meaning there are more jobs. “The image in document four tells people that there are more positions to fill. With the brand new assembly line, companies need five people to complete the task, as opposed to one” (Document 4). The automobile conceived a whole new job route with the assembly line. People now only needed to know how to piece together one thing and that opened up five or more times more jobs as there were in the past. “Railroad travel was fast. Going to San Francisco from New York City took only six days” (Document 5). To move this fast a train would need a team to operate it. The new engines required many workers; this showed that there would be work opportunities on the rail road too.

The Industrial Revolution occurred in Britain and America around the late 1700’s to 1900. This revolution improved the production of goods using new mechanisms and machines. Human labor was in high demand in order for the highest production rates. Factories employed low to middle-class people that were as young as three years old (Document 9). These workers were benefited with money, shelter, and clothes, but the working and living conditions were not satisfying. The average industrial worker experienced a variety of factors that can be classified as good or bad, including the positive effects of labor, like the shelter, money, and food they were given; and the negative effects of the factory,

One of the biggest changes in this new American society was the move from agricultural based jobs, to factory based jobs. People’s lives changed drastically because of it. Families no longer worked as a single unit, but rather each family member went out to work and bring money to the family. However,

In such a unique nation where the average person is family oriented and running a family owned farm and/or business their was bound to be room for change. In 1793 Samuel Slater, a born European created the first cotton spinning factory in Pawtuckett. This is said to be one of the many things that sparked Industrial Development in America. This project alone sparked the need for more cotton to be produced at a faster rate which brought upon the creation of the cotton gin. New growth in any field brings more than what meets the eye. The cotton gin producing more cotton made it neccassary for a new form aof transport to be developed. Shortly after the country started to adapt textile mills started to pop up

At one point, Industrialization had a very negative impact on society. It had affected many people’s lives in a very gloomy way. While some people might argue that Industrialization had primarily positive effects for society because there was better business and financial opportunities it was actually a negative thing for society. Industrialization’s negative effects were unsafe working conditions, bad employers, and many people were separated from their families.

Have you ever think about people for unsafe work? Each in everyday, hours and minutes, as we step forward into a factory, mills or machineries, significant people are put into danger. Although health and safety in a workplace is necessary for the employers and employees, there are still a lot of injuries and deaths in a workplace. Most people we’re being forced to work even if the job is not safe for them to do so. There are people getting injured and killed every day that’s why we need to put a stop to it now and make the job in a workplace comfortable to everybody.

On our way, we came up to a small town where the streets were full of people buying and selling food, clothing, shoes, and business services like hairstyling. We stopped to explore together to see what the market place had to offer. When we noticed a large group of children instead of playing and being like regular kids, they were busy carry large tub containers on top of theirs head selling what they had to people. I went over to ask a couple of them why they weren’t in school and where were their parents. They all answered me saying that their families couldn’t afford to send them to school and that they sell in the street to help and support their mothers. This broke my heart cause no child should have to take on those responsible at a tender age, the youngest child was eight and the oldest was fifteen years old. In American children those ages are required by the government to be in some schooling, whether that is home-schooling or public/private school. There are child labour laws against children under the age of sixteen working and having a job. But because this is a cultural norm so no-one sees it has a

The reason for which children are hired for labour is because of their low wage cost and their great work in return.