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As demand for ready-made clothing increased in the 1820s, shop owners found they could reduce their labor costs by cutting the cloth themselves, farming out the simple sewing tasks to women working at home, and paying them 25 to 50 percent less than male journeymen tailors. This innovation led to the rise of the garment industry sweatshop.

[the tailor]

The Panorama of Professions and Trades by Edward Hazen, 1836

[weed sewing machine ad]

Weed Sewing Machine Advertisement, 1850s

[back to] Return to 1820-1880, Part 2
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