Cotton Was King : A History of Lowell, Massachusetts

Eno, Arthur L. Jr.

A collection of 14 essays on the history of Chelmsford and Lowell, Massachusetts, from pre-incorporation to industrialization, into the middle 20th century. As the title suggests, an emphasis on the prevalence of mill work and immigrants cultures very much responsible for shaping life in this, one of New England's most productive industrialized cities. From the editor: "'Cotton Was King' traces Lowell's history from its Indian beginnings through two centuries of the history of the town of Chelmsford and one hundred and fifty years of urban industrial history, to the present day. The history of Lowell is, in microcosm, the history of America's Industrial Revolution. The city's history is a case study in the evolution of the corporate system, the labor movement, and the role women played in the labor force. The cotton mills of Lowell provided the first opportunity for American women to leave their farms and families and earn an independent living. The city with its enormous factories and canals also served as a magnet for the first waves of immigrants. By the mid-nineteenth century the city felt the first stirrings of both the labor and feminist movements, as Lowell entrepreneurs expanded the factory system."

1976

en

Book

1600-1976; Chelmsford and Lowell, Massachusetts