Female London textile mill worker (M. Rodrigue)
It was in the autumn of 1760 when my family and I were kicked off of our farmland. The land was to be consolidated and used for sheep pastures, so that more wool may be gathered. Left to our own devices, we decided to move to the city, in search of new work. I had found a job at a local textile mill in London, and boy were those looms a sight! It sure took me a while, but I managed to get the hang of weaving wool into cloth every day. Hours upon hours I would work, my hands growing sore and arms tired. It was not until the invention of new machines such as the spinning jenny and the water frame that work became far easier and more efficient. Thread and cloth could be created without the use of hands! The only physical labor required is making sure enough wool is in the machine and everything is running smoothly. Though us workers still endure the deafening sounds and choking fumes of the machines, the work pays. Furthermore, the management present in the mill is rough and strict, firing those who cannot keep pace and chastising others who make a mistake. Us workers live in crowded tenements and often risk catching diseases by living in such close quarters. We barely scrounge enough money to pay for necessities. The shift in hand work to machine work, in its entirety, is bittersweet. We could still be working the looms and bobbins one arm stroke and wheel turn at a time.
London Factory Worker (I. Iannotti) I could not agree with you more, and I can tell what a challenging life you and you family are living. It is unfair and unjust for people like us to have these awful things done to us and then on top of it all be considered the scum of society. Living in these cities and working in these factories has not only enraged me but it has made me pray for better times. People like us deserve better than this, and I will defend that to the end!
ReplyDeleteFriedrich Engels (M. Gempp)
ReplyDeleteI completely agree, I see you and many other workers suffer. Living in those tenements and being forced out of your farms and have no money is not right! It is very unfair and makes society unequal. Working at those factories is very dangerous, but all the governments want is improvement. They should have everyone be equal and live where they want, work how they want, live their own life!