The "Bread and Roses" Strike of 1912

Strike victory parade on Common Street

(Photo: Lawrence History Center)

In 1912 Lawrence became the focus of international attention as the scene of one of the landmark events in American labor history tadacip online.  When a state law reduced the work week from 56 to 54 hours, the mills cut the workers’ pay.  Averaging only $8.76 a week, most of Lawrence’s 30,000 textile workers walked off the job, and stayed out for nine weeks in a harsh winter.

The strike was remarkable for the cooperation among immigrant workers, for the role of women, and for the strikers’ practice of expressing themselves in song.  Some women strikers reportedly carried banners proclaiming “We want bread, and roses, too”, symbolizing their fight for both subsistence and dignity.  Thus the name, the “Bread and Roses Strike”.

The mill owners and city authorities called out the state militia, jailed many strikers, and even planted dynamite to discredit the strikers and their union xenical.  The tide turned when police used force to prevent strikers from sending their children to sympathetic families elsewhere clomid online.  Public opinion and a Congressional investigation forced the mill owners to give in to most of the strikers’ demands. 

The strike highlighted issues of child labor, workplace safety, and subsistence wages.  It was an important step in labor’s long struggle for gains which many of us now take for granted. 

To learn more about the strike, visit Lawrence Heritage State Park, see the strike exhibit and videos, or ask us about it!  We also have some books and other items about the strike, including a video, for sale.  At the annual Bread & Roses Heritage Festival on the Common in downtown Lawrence, every year on Labor Day, we offer walking and trolley tours, and historical booths and demonstrations, where you can learn more about the strike.

Lawrence Heritage State Park is open daily, from 9 to 4.  Admission is free; we are fully accessible.  We are located at 1 Jackson St., Lawrence, MA.  For information call 978-794-1655.

Email:   lawrence.heritage@state.ma.us      or see   http://www.mass.gov/dem/parks/lwhp.htm