I just finished the chapter about the Quebec immigrants that came down to work in the mills. Wow! What these people went through to survive is appalling! Talk about discrimination! I think they were treated even worse than the Irish immigrants -- and that says a lot. Did you ever hear any first-hand accounts of life in the mills from your great-grandparents or grandparents? I understand that some of them literally worked themselves to death in those mills.
My analysis assignment is actually on the lives of the women who worked in the Lowell Mills. The original textile mill-founding Lowell had a great vision that he implemented extraordinarily well. However, after his death, his successors 'forgot' about his vision and totally exploited the mill workers. It's very tragic.
Anyway, like I said, it's a fairly easy read for a historical non-fiction text. I hope you enjoy it.
Unfortunately, I never got to hear any of the first-hand accounts. I never knew my great-grandparents and my mother's parents died when I was still young. It was not long after that that the city became a national historical park. That was really when most of us learned about all of that history. We went on the mill and canal tours almost every year for school field trips and they were great.
It is very sad how Lowell's vision was corrupted and the workers exploited. I've been filling my son in on some of the history. He became interested as we were driving through a section of Lowell with a lot of large houses, the old mill owner mansions. I explained what they were which led to a lot of other questions and a brief history. It piqued my interest again and had already planned on doing some reading so was thrilled when you mentioned that book.
I don't live in Lowell anymore. I'm actually 15 minutes away in Lawrence, another old mill city that hasn't fared as well as Lowell as far as revitalization. If there's anything I can help you with as far as info on the area, etc., you can e-mail me through my profile.
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Paula,
I just finished the chapter about the Quebec immigrants that came down to work in the mills. Wow! What these people went through to survive is appalling! Talk about discrimination! I think they were treated even worse than the Irish immigrants -- and that says a lot. Did you ever hear any first-hand accounts of life in the mills from your great-grandparents or grandparents? I understand that some of them literally worked themselves to death in those mills.
My analysis assignment is actually on the lives of the women who worked in the Lowell Mills. The original textile mill-founding Lowell had a great vision that he implemented extraordinarily well. However, after his death, his successors 'forgot' about his vision and totally exploited the mill workers. It's very tragic.
Anyway, like I said, it's a fairly easy read for a historical non-fiction text. I hope you enjoy it.
Julie
Unfortunately, I never got to hear any of the first-hand accounts. I never knew my great-grandparents and my mother's parents died when I was still young. It was not long after that that the city became a national historical park. That was really when most of us learned about all of that history. We went on the mill and canal tours almost every year for school field trips and they were great.
It is very sad how Lowell's vision was corrupted and the workers exploited. I've been filling my son in on some of the history. He became interested as we were driving through a section of Lowell with a lot of large houses, the old mill owner mansions. I explained what they were which led to a lot of other questions and a brief history. It piqued my interest again and had already planned on doing some reading so was thrilled when you mentioned that book.
I don't live in Lowell anymore. I'm actually 15 minutes away in Lawrence, another old mill city that hasn't fared as well as Lowell as far as revitalization. If there's anything I can help you with as far as info on the area, etc., you can e-mail me through my profile.
Paula
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