Risks Of Going to The Mills

Girls at the time of the Lowell Mills were to work at home under the guidance of their father and mother while they grew up.  So many of these teenage girls wanted nothing more than to branch off and become independent. The girls found the chance to gain their own independence if they went off to the Mills. They wanted to get out of the farm life and see the world outside of what they were used too. Most of the girls were motivated to make a life for themselves on their own. There were many benefits that came from the girls deciding to go to the Mills. Some benefits were that they would be able to send money back to the family, they would get some money for themselves, they would get more freedom and independence, and they had the chance to create opportunities for their futures. On the other hand, there were also many costs. One cost is that they would have been working in poor conditions and with extremely dangerous machines.  Also, there would have been low pay, and the health risks from working in the factories were extremely high. If the girls were to go to the factories they were not allowed to socialize with men when working which is also a cost and the girls were not treated fairly by the overseers. Many of the Mill girls would go on to be outspoken abolitionists and women’s right activists. The girls were the first women to protest so openly which led to more women to speak out about their rights.