April, 2011 Workshop
Spencer Peirce Little Farm, Newbury, Mass.

Documents for the Farm or Factory? Making “Work Pay” in Essex County Lesson

In the 1800s life as people knew it was beginning to change dramatically. As the Industrial Revolution found its way into Essex County and New England, new and different opportunities for work evolved for young women and men. The rhythm of the work day, methods of payment and the sound and sights of the New England landscape itself transformed seemingly overnight.

Essex County was at the forefront of textile factory production with the first cloth mill constructed in Beverly MA. While that mill did not last long, it was soon followed by smaller mills throughout the county and larger ones in Lawrence, Haverhill, Lynn, Newburyport, Andover and Salem. Work in a mill setting meant that employees’ work time was regulated by a bell rather than the weather and seasons. Factories were built next to water sources until steam power was introduced. Clock towers and factory buildings dotted the landscape

.In addition cash money rather than buying items “on account” became the norm. This lesson seeks to have students look closely at the differences between farming communities and those influenced by mill work. Students can begin to understand how their towns were changed over time. The culminating activity of designing a “bank note” to reflect the changes in local economics allows students to use images to show their understanding of the topic.

Primary Sources ...from the Beverly Historical Society

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• Photos of Kilham butter churn from Hale Farm
  
• This churn was likely one used for production of butter for home use. It belonged to the Kilhams, a sea captain’s family of Beverly and can be seen in the Hale Farm in Beverly, Massachusetts..
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• Bank Note, 1858, Bass River Bank
  
• Prior to the end of the Civil War, there was no national currency. Each bank produced their own "notes" (similar in some ways to checks) to represent their "hard currency" - gold or silver. The Bass River Bank was based in Beverly MA.

Primary Sources ...from the Andover Historical Society, Andover, MA

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• Photos of dairying equipment – wooden and stoneware churns
• These churns are typical of those used to make butter in New England households from the 1700s through the 1800s. Cream was put into the base of the
  “whip” or agitate the liquid. An up adown plunging motion was repeated uthe cream turned to butter and buttermilk.
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• Bank Notes, 1856, Andover Bank
• Tthree and ten dollar notes from the Andover Bank.

Primary Sources ...from the Haverhill Historical Society, Haverhill, Mass.

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• Bank Notes, 1850s, Haverhill and Union Banks
• Bank notes were not just for dollar amounts. These notes are for one and five dollars and one for ten cents. The images on the notes show some of the important cultural and economic symbols of the time.Multiple bank notes are included in the image.

Primary Source Materials from private collection

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• Account book pages from Pettingill family – Produce on Farm, West Newbury 1834
• This document shows what a farm in Newbury sold for the year, 1834 - primarily eggs, butter, cheese and farm labor. Transcript is included.

Photographs of Essex County Monuments

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• Photos of marker in Beverly for First Cotton Mill
• Built in 1787, visited by Washington in 1790, burned in 1828 - this mill predates the Slater mill in Rhode Island. An advertisement for the cloth produced here can be found below.

Primary Source Materials from published books

• Excerpts from A New Order of Things, How the Textile Industry Transformed New England,--by Paul Rivard, - Based on oral histories and archival documents, and enhanced by 100 illustrations from across New England, A New Order of Things offers an expansive, accessible overview of the rise and collapse of the industry that forced New England into the modern age.
• Excerpts from Farm to Factory; Women’s letters, 1830-1860,--by Thomas Dublin, - Thomas Dublin has selected five sets of letters in order to provide a personal view of the first generation of American women employed for wages outside their own homes. The letters he has selected provide a unique perspective on early industrial capitalism and its effects on women.See especially Sabrina Bennet's and Mary Paul's letters for links to Essex County

Primary Sources from the Internet,...items can be downloaded from the Internet Archives

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• Series of Tables of American Manufactures of Every County in the Union, 1810
• – Massachusetts excerpt - This document is a collection of images of some of the items mentioned in the letter written from Lawrence MA by "Ann." A copy of an illustration of ladies' clothing from the Godey's Ladies' book is included, as well as information and images of woemn wearing "bloomers." Citations for websites are on the document.
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• Essex Agricultural Society reports, 1832, 1837
• testimonials from dairy prize recipients = This document is a collection of images of some of the items mentioned in the letter written from Lawrence MA by "Ann." A copy of an illustration of ladies' clothing from the Godey's Ladies' book is included, as well as information and images of woemn wearing "bloomers." Citations for websites are on the document.
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• Advertisement from the Salem Mercury, December 1789
• – advertisement for corduroy produced by the Beverly Manufactory. (see also the marker listed above for the first textile factory erected in Beverly)

Secondary Sources and Worksheets

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• Worksheet for use with the Mill Times DVD
• This worksheet is for use with the Mill Times DVD developed by PBS to further explore the topics in David Macauley's book, Mill. It encourages students to compare and contrast the changes brought about by the Industrial Revolution in New England.
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• From Farm to Factory, - ...from the Old Sturbridge Village website
• paper by Jack Larkin, 2003 .Larkin explains how the coming of the mills and factories changed life for many New Englanders in a dramatic way
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• Family Activities in the 1830s, - ...from the Old Sturbridge Village website
• This background paper examines the activities of a typical rural family in the early 1800s.
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• Dairying in Early 19th Century Central Massachusetts, - ...from the Old Sturbridge Village website
• by Andrew Baker. In the early 19th century, farming and dairying in particular was becoming more "scientific" in nature. Farmers were beginning to record data and change their approach. Baker explains some of the changes in dairying of the time.
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• What a Dollar Would Buy in 1830 - ...from the Old Sturbridge Village website
• Many times people ask what the value of money was historically. This paper written by a scholar at Old Sturbridge Village details what one dollar would buy. Also included are what ten cents would buy and what one cent would buy. This source is also valuable to show the kinds of goods were available in New England at the time.
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• History of the Essex Agricultural Society, 2009, background paper
• First established in the early 1800s, the Essex Agricultural Society, was an attempt by local farmers to promtoe the "scientific" nature of farming. By careful study and experimentation, farming was notably improved by these gentlemen. (see also the link to the Topsfield Fair below)

...Web links for Related Subjects - links not tested after May, 2011

Mill Times--This DVD is a companion to the book Mill by David Macauley. In it he compares pre-industrial New England with the changes brought about as mills and factories began to spring up. He shows much of the machinery for both eras and explains the changes right up to the present day. This DVD can be very powerful as a tool for having students visually understand the changes of the era.

Old Sturbridge Village--The website for this living history museum has many resources for exploring the impact of the Industrial Revolution and the era that pre-dates it.

Topsfield Fair --What began as the Essex Agricultural Society Cattle Show with its annual exhibits/fairs held in various sites around Essex County to showcase agriculture, Topsfield Fair has been held annually at its existing location since 1910. It is fitting that the fair eventually settled in Topsfield, for it was at the town's former Cyrus Cummings Tavern that twenty or more men first gathered that February in 1818 to form what soon became the Essex Agricultural Society.More info about their history can be found above.