PatersonSilkStrike

TargetAge:High School

TimePeriod:20thCenturyFeaturedCounty:PassaicCountyNJ350thTheme:Liberty

Common CoreStates StandardsforEnglish LanguageArts:

R.CCR.9-Analyzehowtwoormoretextsaddresssimilarthemesortopicsinordertobuild knowledgeor to comparetheapproachestheauthorstake.

W.CCR.9-Drawevidencefromliteraryor informationaltextstosupportanalysis,reflection,and research.

SL.CCR.3-Evaluate aspeaker's pointofview,reasoning, anduseofevidenceand rhetoric.

NewJersey CoreCurriculumContentStandards:Social Studies: 6.1.12.D.6.a,6.3.12.A.2

FOCUSQUESTION:Inwhatwaysdid the silkworkers ofPatersonbelieve that their libertywasbeingthreatenedand violated?

BACKGROUND:

In thelate19thcentury,Paterson, NewJerseybecame a manufacturing powerhouse.TheGreatFallsofthe PassaicRiverprovidedenergyformillsthat producednearlyhalfthenation’ssilk. Skilled dyersandweaversfromEuropeproducedfabrics forNewYork’sburgeoning garmentindustry.

Conflictsbetweenthemillowners andworkerswerenot uncommon.But in1913,when theownerstried topushworkersto produceevenmorewith less,theworkersdecided to strike.Thehouse ofPietroBotto,a skilledweaverfromItaly,andhiswifeMaria, asilkinspector,becamethestrike’sheadquarters.Speakerswould addresscrowdsof upto25,000fromthesecond floorporch.

ThePaterson SilkStrike of1913lasted5months,shutting downsome300millsand dyehouses,andattracting nationalheadlinesand support.Althoughworkerdemandswerenotmet,thehistoricstrikeleft behind a legacyofsolidarityandcommon purposethatreachedfarbeyondPaterson.

TheBottoHouseisnowtheAmericanLaborMuseum, oneofthe fewmuseumsdedicated to theAmericanworker.

ACTIVITY:

Afterreadingthe twoprimarydocumentsbelowandanalyzing thepicturesfroma Paterson silkfactoryholda classdiscussion thatcontextualizesthe strike.Keep inmind industrialization, late19thcenturyimmigration,working conditions, andthe reformsoftheProgressivemovementwhen addressing thefollowingquestions.

  • What werethe realissuesbehind thecausesof thePaterson silkstrike?
  • Was thestrikesimplyoverpoorconditions andlowpay,or weretheregreaterforcesinvolved?
  • What werethe differing views andattitudesconcerning workingconditions andcompensation?
  • Whywas thePaterson silk strikefiercelyopposedbytheownersofthe factoriesand society as awhole?
  • Whatother factorsledmany nottosupport thestriking workers’position?

FOLLOW-UP:

Activecivicparticipation isessentialtoavibrantand enduring democracy.Whenthe peoplefeelstronglyandpassionatelyabout a causethereare Constitutionalprotectionsfortheirliberties,whichallowpeacefulprotestsanddemonstrations.

Ask thestudentsto identify a current causeormovementtheyfeelpassionateabout. In small groups,the studentswillselectanissue anddevelop waystoprotestforchangeandreform. Askthestudentstoconsider:

  • Howwouldtheycommunicatetheirmessage?
  • Whowould betheirsupportersandopponents?
  • Whowould betheirtargetaudience(s)?
  • Whatobjectivesaretheytrying to achieve?

Thestudentsshould considerdeveloping slogans,songs,literature,posters,activities, andeventstopromote theircause.Eachgroup willpresenttheir causeand plan foraction to the class.

WANTTOLEARNMORE?

PlacesYouCanVisit

AmericanLaborMuseum/BottoHouseNationalLandmark83 Norwood Street

Haledon, NJ 07508

LambertCastle3 ValleyRoad

Paterson, NJ07503

Additional TeachingResources

NewJersey Digital Highway:Paterson SilkStrike

Froma projectcompletedby NewJerseyhigh schoolteachersforhigh schoolstudents, thisexcellentdatabaseof teacherresources andlesson plansfocusesheavilyupon primarydocument analysis andcritical thinking skills.

Teaching withHistoricPlacesLesson PlansPaterson,NewJersey:America’sSilkCity

Anexcellentactivityformiddle andhigh schoolstudentsprovidedbytheNational ParkServicehighlighting theimportance ofPaterson, NJin thedevelopmentofthe UnitedStates.

For MoreInformation

SteveGolin,TheFragileBridge:PatersonSilkStrike,1913(TempleUniversityPress,1992).

Paterson SilkStrikeCentennial Alliance

War inPaterson:TheStrike ThatChangestheLaborMovement

PrimarySource#1

Elizabeth GurleyFlynnRemembersthePaterson Strike of1913,Source,Elizabeth GurleyFlynn,TheRebelGirl: AnAutobiography(NewYork,1955),165-166.

Thisaccountof thestrikeassembliesatthe homeofMaria Botto andthe women'smeetingsduringthe1913Patersonsilkstrikeis byElizabeth GurleyFlynn, a leaderinthe IndustrialWorkersoftheWorld andleaderofthePatersonstrike.Flynn was22 yearsold atthetimeofthe strike. Her careeras aradicalbegan in 1906whenshewas16and joined theIndustrialWorkersoftheWorld (IWW).Flynn wasespeciallypopularamong thewomen,forwhomsheheld regularweekly meetings.

Thelifeof astrikedependsupon constantactivities. In Paterson,as inall IWWstrikes,thereweremasspicketing,dailymassmeetings,children'smeetings,thesending ofmanychildrentoNewYorkand NewJerseycities, andtheuniqueSundaygatherings.Thesewereheld in theafternoonin the little town ofHaledon,justoverthecitylinefrom Paterson.Themayorwasa Socialistwhowelcomedus. Astriker'sfamilylivedthere inatwo-storyhouse.Therewas a balconyonthe second floor,facing thestreet,opposite a largegreenfield. It wasa naturalplatform and amphitheatre.SundayafterSunday, as thedaysbecamepleasanter,wespokethereto enormouscrowdsof thousandsof people-thestrikersandtheir families,workersfromotherPaterson industries,peoplefromnearbyNewJerseycities,delegationsfromNewYorkoftradeunionists,students andothers. VisitorscamefromalloverAmericaand fromforeigncountries.PeoplewhosawtheseHaledonmeetingsneverforgotthem....

A touching episodeoccurred in oneofour children'smeetings. Iwas speakingin simplelanguageaboutthe conditionsofsilkworkerswhytheirparentshad tostrike. Ispokeof howlittletheywerepaid forweaving thebeautifulsilk,like theLawrenceworkerswhomadethefinewarm woolen cloth.Yetthetextileworkersdonotweareitherwoolen orsilk, while the richpeoplewear both. I asked:"Do youwearsilk?"Theyansweredina livelychorus."No!" Iasked:Doesyourmotherwearsilk?"Againtherewas aloud "No!"But a child'svoiceinterrupted,making a statement. Thisiswhathesaid:"Mymother has a silkdress.My fatherspoiled theclothand had to bring it home."Thesilkworker had topayforthepiecehespoiled andonlythendid his wifeget asilkdress!

We had awoman'smeeting,too, inPaterson atwhichHaywood,Tresca andIspoke.When I told thisstorytothewomencladinshoddycotton dresses,thereweremurmursofapproval whichconfirmedthat thechild wasright-allthe silktheyeversawoutside themillwas spoiledgoods.Trescamadesomeremarksaboutshorterhours,peoplebeing lesstired,moretimetospendtogetherand jokinglyhesaid:"Morebabies."Thewomen didnotlookamused.When Haywood interruptedand said:"No Carlo,webelieve in birthcontrol-afewbabies,wellcared for!"theyburstintolaughterandapplause.Theygladlyagreed tosending thechildren to othercitiesand,chastenedbytheLawrenceexperience,the policedidnot interferethistime.

Source:

PrimarySource#2

BillHaywood Remembersthe 1913Paterson Strike Source, WilliamD.Haywood,"On thePatersonPicketLine,"InternationalSocialistReview,13(June1913): 850-851.

In thisexcerptfroman articlepublished during the1913PatersonSilkStrikeby"Big"BillHaywood,hecommentson thewomen'srole in thestrike. Haywoodwas a founderand nationalleaderoftheIndustrialWorkersoftheWorld (IWW).

...Thewomenhavebeenan enormousfactor inthePaterson strike.Eachmeeting for them hasbeenattendedbybiggerand biggercrowds. Theyarebecoming deeplyinterested in thequestionsof thehourthat areconfrontingwomen andarerapidlydeveloping thesentimentsthat goto makeup thegreatfeministmovementoftheworld.

With themit is not aquestion ofequalsuffragebutofeconomicfreedom.Thewomen arereadytoassumetheirshareof theresponsibility,on thepicketline, in jail,eventotheextent ofsending theirchildren away.Hundreds ofchildren alreadyhavefound good homeswiththeir "strikeparents" inNewYork.

TheMother in Jail.

Amongthe strikers gathered in bythepolicewas awoman with a nursing baby.She was fined$10andcostswiththealternativeof 20daysinjail. Shewas locked up,butthe babywasnot allowedtogowithher. In twenty-fourhoursthemother'sbreastswerefilled to bursting,butthebaby ontheoutsidewasstarving.Herefusedto takeanyotherformoffood.Ina fewmorehoursthecondition ofbothmotherand baby wasdangerous,and Elizabeth GurleyFlynnwentto seeRecorderCarroll about thecase.Shetoldhimunlessthe babywasallowed tohaveitsmother itwould soon die.RecorderCarroll'sreplywasas follows:

"That'sNoneofMy Business."

Source:

Courtesy of NewJersey StateArchives;Departmentof State.

Courtesy of NewJersey StateArchives;Departmentof State.

CREDITINFORMATION:

In ClassroomActivity:

Pg.1: Paterson SilkStrikePoster. AmericanLaborMuseum/BottoHouseNationalLandmark.

Pg. 5(top): Malesilkworker in Paterson factory.NewJersey StateArchives;Departmentof State.

Pg. 6(bottom):Femalesilkworker inPaterson factory.New Jersey StateArchives;Departmentof State.

It Happened Here: NewJersey is a programof theNewJersey Historical Commission made possible by a grant fromtheNewJersey Council for theHumanities, astate partner oftheNational Endowmentfor theHumanities. Anyviews,findings,conclusions, or recommendations expressed intheprogramdo not necessarilyrepresentthoseof the National Endowmentfor theHumanities ortheNew Jersey CouncilfortheHumanities.To access more teachingresources created forthisprogramvisit