Blackwell Reference Online

Extract

The Lowell Female Labor Reform Association (LFLRA, 1845–7) is counted among the earliest organized efforts by American women to enact social change. In response to oppressive working conditions worsened by the Panic of 1837, many operatives in the country's premier industrial city sought redress through organization and petition, primarily aimed at enacting a state law mandating a ten-hour workday. In December 1844, five operatives met to discuss the situation at Anti-Slavery Hall and the LFLRA emerged. Sarah Bagley, a native of New Hampshire and a veteran operative, served as president. By January 1846, the group claimed 600 members.The LFLRA affiliated with the New England Workingmen's Association (NEWA) and dedicated itself to advocacy of the ten-hour workday. The members of the LFLRA were active in all efforts of the NEWA, while simultaneously organizing other female associations throughout New England. Under the aegis of the LFLRA, Bagley started the Industrial Reform Lyceum to provide a public forum separate from the existing corporation-sponsored platforms.The operatives' primary argument focused on the need for time to hone their physical, spiritual, intellectual, and moral development, which typical workdays of 11–13 hours precluded. An excerpt from the association's constitution demonstrates the influence of perfectionism prevalent among social reform advocates of the ... log in or subscribe to read full text