This Day in History

July 3, 1835: Paterson Silkworkers Strike

Time Periods: 1800
Themes: Labor
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On July 3, 1835, 2,000 workers (most of whom were children) went on strike from 20 textile mills in Paterson, New Jersey to demand better work hours.

Workers had previously been forced to work 13 hours per day Monday through Saturday, and were regularly fined for minor disciplinary infractions.

Although the strike was eventually broken, the company decreased workers’ hours to twelve hours during the week and nine hours on Saturday.

Related Resources
Teaching Activities (Free)

The Homestead Strike

Teaching Activity. By Bill Bigelow and Norm Diamond. 11 pages.
This role play activity on the famous 1892 Homestead Strike, explores the possibility of solidarity among workers of very different backgrounds and at different levels in the workplace hierarchy.

Teaching Guides

The Power in Our Hands: A Curriculum on the History of Work and Workers in the United States

Teaching Guide. By Bill Bigelow and Norm Diamond. 1988. 184 pages.
Role plays and writing activities project high school students into real-life situations to explore the history and contemporary reality of employment (and unemployment) in the U.S.

Profiles

Women in Labor History

Profile. Zinn Education Project.
Brief bios of two dozen women of note in the labor movement.

Books: Non-Fiction

Bread & Roses: Mills, Migrants, and the Struggle for the American Dream

Book — Non-fiction. By Bruce Watson. 2006. 352 pages.
The riveting story of one of the most remarkable strikes in U.S. history.

Which Side Are You On - Book Cover
Picture Books

Which Side Are You On?: The Story of a Song

Picture book. By George Ella Lyon. Artwork by Christopher Cardinale. 2011. 40 pages.
This children’s book tells the story of a classic union song written in 1931 and the harsh conditions under which it was written.