Did You Know the First Women’s Strike in the US Was in New Hampshire?

If you're like this writer, you love learning random facts about where you live.

It teaches you something new to energize your brain, while also serving as a nugget of wisdom to share with friends.

New Hampshire is the subject of all sorts of fun facts. For instance, you probably knew that the state bird is the purple finch, and that Alan Shepard – the first American in space – was born in East Derry (you can test more of your trivia knowledge here).

But did you know that the nation's first-ever women's strike took place in the Granite State?

The History of the Dover Mill Girls' Strike

Back in 1812, the Cocheco Manufacturing Company was founded in Dover, and specialized in using "waterpower from the Cochecho River to make cloth." The thriving business needed thousands of workers to keep things running, and in 1822, published an ad in search of "smart, capable girls ‘between 12 and 25 years old,’ promising ‘constant employment and good encouragement,'" according to the New England Historical Society. 

However, it soon became clear that conditions were far from ideal. The girls earned 47 cents per day, worked 12-hour shifts with just one break, inhaled fumes, interacted with dangerous machinery (resulting in several mangled limbs), and had to abide by strict behavioral rules.

What Caused the Strike?

In 1828, the company underwent a change in ownership, according to the City of Dover. The female workers received a pay cut, while the men and managers did not. This was the last straw. On December 30 of that year, roughly 400 girls – about half of the mill girls in total – walked out in protest, marching in a half-mile procession "around the Mill with signs and banners and even ignited two barrels of gunpowder." The event was the first women's strike in the United States.

Was the Strike Successful?

The City of Dover explained that unfortunately, the strike's fate was sealed when the mill owners began looking for replacement workers, causing the protestors to give up in order to keep their jobs. However, the women's zeal and enthusiasm did not go unnoticed. In the future, some New England protests would indeed result in better pay and improved workplace conditions.