Women and the Industrial Revolution

A Woman's Work is Never Done
Images of women at work from the 1800s on can be seen at this online exhibit. From the American Revolution through the Industrial Revolution, see what working life was like for women in America. Find out what were considered typical household chores in the domestic work section, and discover what types of jobs were held by women merchants. The various roles taken by women during wars are discussed. You can also learn about women as teachers, factory workers, performers, and more.

http://www.americanantiquarian.org

Fighting From the Homefront: the Role of Women in the Civil War
An article from the Detroit Free Press in 1861 tells women that working for the soldiers during the Civil War should be their steady purpose and aim until the war ended. Discover the different ways in which women were affected by the Civil War. This article from the Henry Ford Museum discusses the work of Soldiers' Aid Societies and the United States Sanitary Commission. Learn about the United States Christian Commission and the American Union Commission. Historic photographs are included.

http://blog.thehenryford.org

The Civil War Home Front
Explore the ways in which life in Wisconsin was affected by the Civil War. The Wisconsin Historical Society web site explains how the Civil War brought economic prosperity to the state, especially in the areas of transportation and agriculture. Find out about the different groups who did not did not support the war and see how women's work in many varied areas made a difference in the war effort. At the end of the article, there is access to numerous original documents and primary sources.

http://www.wisconsinhistory.org

The Northern Homefront
Civilians in the northern states experienced many changes in their daily lives during the Civil War. Read about the increase in wartime production of coal and iron and the rise in transportation on railroads and the Erie Canal. Find out about huge profits and extravagant lifestyles of manufacturing company stockholders and the hardships faced by factory workers. This article describes how the role of women changed during the war and discusses the resentment of the draft.

http://www.ushistory.org

Mary Walton: Anti-Pollution Devices
Meet Mary Walton and learn of this inventor's fight against pollution. Although the Industrial Revolution brought about many good things, it also gave us pollution. Mary Walton was an independent inventor who devised methods of pollution control as early as 1879. Learn about her invention that minimized the environmental hazards of smoke from smokestacks. Find out also how she experimented until she came up with a successful way to minimize noise pollution. Both her inventions received patents.

http://web.mit.edu

Wake Up, America
Economic growth and enhanced agricultural production in the early 19th century can be attributed to the Industrial Revolution. This site explores the economic conditions of the early 19th century in the United States. Find out how improved methods of transportation, including better roads, trains, and canals, also helped the economy. Learn the differences between the southern economy and the northern economy. Life before the Industrial Revolution is described. You can also find out about the life of factory workers, and differences between factory workers and factory owners.

http://www.pbs.org

A Growing National Economy
The years between 1790 and 1820 were a time of growth in the United States, with the population more than doubling. This change was accomplished mainly through childbearing; very few immigrants came to America until immigration started to increase in 1815. You can discover some of the reasons people wanted to migrate to the young nation when you visit the Monterey Institute web site. The multimedia presentations and other resources by the University of California also shed light upon the industrial revolution, including the cotton gin and other inventions that made it possible, and the consequences for workers.

http://www.montereyinstitute.org

Factory Inspection Legislation
In 1877, Massachusetts was the first state to pass laws regarding factory safety. Within 20 years, another fourteen states had these types of laws. The laws were created after certain events in Britain, and were modeled after Britain's laws. Different states passed different laws, and at first, they were for the benefit of women and children. This article contains a thorough look at how life changed for factory workers at the end of the 19th century and the very beginning of the 20th century.

http://www.dol.gov

Working Heroes -- Men and Women Who Shaped America's Labor Movement Be sure to check the Timeline, too.
Learn about the women who brought hope to the common workers. Frances Perkins, Mother Jones, Lucy Randolph Mason, and Esther Eggersten Peterson fought for labor rights. Frances Perkins was the first woman in a Presidential cabinet position as Secretary of Labor in 1933. She witnessed the tragedy of the Triangle Shirtwaist fire. Mother Jones was once labeled the most dangerous woman in America for organizing the United Mine Workers during a strike in the days when strikes were often met with violence. Lucy Mason worked to reform state labor laws. Esther Peterson was a labor organizer for woman's rights.

http://www.aflcio.org

Household Appliances and Women's Work
Nineteenth century women spent the majority of their time on household chores, before electrical appliances revolutionized housework. Fans and hair dryers were among the first electrical appliances, followed by vacuum cleaners and washing machines. Refrigerators and electric mixers saved labor in the kitchen. Read about these early 20th century inventions, and how they freed women to join the work force. Unfortunately, now women return home from a day of work to the easier versions of household chores still waiting for them.

http://www.ieeeghn.org

1892-1895: 1893 Chicago's World Fair
Discover how Illinois' first foreign born governor worked his way to the top and learn about the issues he addressed and the efforts he made along the way. This information on Altgeld introduces you to a discussion on the World's Columbian Exposition and provides you with background information on Chicago at this time in history. You will find interesting information about the buildings and their locations, the many educational and entertainment exhibits that were featured, and an historic paper that was delivered. The impact of the fair is discussed along with information on the labor union issues that followed.

http://dig.lib.niu.edu

Women's History and Heritage Month: Victorian Womanhood, In All Its Guises
From Cleopatra to Harriet Tubman, investigate famous women from history. Cleopatra ruled Egypt more than 2,000 years ago. She successfully managed war, economics, politics, and foreign policy. Harriet Tubman led dozens of slaves to freedom, even though she had seizures from an early head injury. The world would not know Von Gogh's art if it wasn't for his sister-in-law. Melinda Gates leads the world's largest philanthropy foundation, contributing billions to development and health care. Madeline Albright used pins to send a message when she was on the U.N. Security Council. Take a new look at Anne Frank and Annie Oakley.

http://www.smithsonianmag.com