The+Ten+Hour+Movement

The Ten Hour Movement In the Lowell mills during the 1840's, mill workers worked a typical work day of 14 hours long. //Standing for fourteen hours a day, six days a week, breathing cotton dust, the girls complained about low wages, varicose veins, long hours, lack of opportunity for education, and generally being treated like slaves.// The Ten Hour Movement began in 1844 as mill girls were asked to sign a petition to pressure the mills to change to a ten hour work day. Many feared that if they signed a petition calling for a ten-hour day, they would be fired and blacklisted from working at any mill. By 1845, a 130 foot long scroll with 4,500 names on it was sent to the government. The Ten-Hour Movement petition was not passed at that time. In 1874, the law was passed, but girls were not working in the mills any more. Immigrants had taken their places.

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