The Market Revolution of the early 19th century brought forth the first American factories. Factories had emerged in England as early as the late 18th century before finally making their appearance in large numbers in New England by the first decades of the 19th century. Unlike their counterparts across the Atlantic, the labor used in American factories tended to be young, single women, between the ages of 15 and 25. The attached lecture explains why factory owners preferred women over men. The system would continue for most the century, although its populatrity would fall with the arrival of Irish immigrants in 1840s. The lecture attached details the rise of the textile mill industry. The Primary Documents detail a strike that occurred in one of the mills and the list of grievances that details specific working conditions. You will need to read the attached lecture: Mill Girls & The Market Economy and you will also need to do independent online research. Answer the following questions with details and examples: 1. Why did factory owners begin to hire young, single women between the ages of 15-25? Why would mill girls seek work in the factories? 2. Why did factory owners begin replacing mill girls with immigrants in the 1840s? 3. What factors were pushing Irish and German immigrants out of their countries? What factors were pulling them to the United States? 4. What kind of jobs were open to Irish and German immigrants? (Different for each one, Irish immigrants were typically poor , unskilled, and uneducated; while Germans, for the most part, were middle class, skilled, and educated. 5. All sources must be cited, including lectures and links from Unit 2. Please ready above and completed per description.
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