Presented by Elizabeth DeWolfe. In 1841, nearly 500 female factory workers walked out of Saco’s York Manufacturing Company and paraded up Main Street, chanting and singing. They gathered in a local church, formed a committee, and sent the factory owner a document articulating their complaints about wages, housing, and paternalistic rules. In this illustrated talk, we’ll explore the life of New England “factory girls,” the opportunities mill work brought, and the challenges of this difficult labor. We’ll examine the tense days that followed the “turn-out” and see how a strike in one Maine town connected to national agitation for women’s rights, including suffrage.

PROGRAM INFORMATION
Date: Sunday, March 2, 2025
Doors Open: 2:30 PM
Event Starts: 3:00 PM
Address: Historical Museum, 505 Main Street, Springvale, ME
The museum is handicapped accessible.

TICKETS
Admittance to this event is FREE to the public. For questions, please call 207-490-1028 or email info@sanfordhistory.org.

This lecture is generously supported and sponsored by: The Henry Mapes Foundation, Maine Humanities Council, Atlantic Federal Credit Union, and Town & Country Credit Union.