Working Class History Podcast - The Pawtucket mill strike #32
History is not made by the actions of a few rich and powerful individuals, like so much of the history we learn in school. History is made by the combined everyday actions of hundreds of millions of us: women, men, youth, people of colour, migrants, Indigenous people, LGBT+ people, disabled people, workers, older people, the unemployed, housewives – the working class.
In this podcast episode, historian Joey DeFrancesco tells the story of the first factory strike in US history when in 1824, young women and girls working in the mills in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, organised themselves and walked out, winning better conditions. Joey also explains how the development of capitalist industry in the north was dependent on the labour of enslaved people in the south. Our podcast is brought to you by our patreon supporters. Our supporters fund our work, and in return get exclusive early access to podcast episodes, bonus episodes, free and discounted merchandise and other content. Join us or find out more at https://patreon.com/workingclasshistory Full show notes this episode including links to more information, photographs and more here on our website: https://workingclasshistory.com/2019/08/12/e28-the-pawtucket-mill-strike/