Maine: The Pine Tree State from Prehistory to the Present (Judd, Churchill, and Eastman)
Chapter 19: Work & Workers in the Industrial Age, 1865-1930
Drs. Robert H. Babcock, Eileen Eagan, Yves Frenette, and Charles A. Scontras delve into how post-Civil War industrialism in Maine impacted Mainers--particularly those living in Auburn, Lewiston, and Portland.
In the 65-year period of time between the end of the Civil War and the early days of the Great Depression, Maine's industrial workforce doubles and its industrial output in dollars grows tenfold. Despite this general trend toward growing industrialism, specific industries ebbed and flowed over that period of time.
One demographic trend in this period of time is the increasing numbers of women working in shoe, printing, textile, and wool factories. And another demographic trend was the increasing numbers of rural migrants moving to Maine from British Isles, Canada, Germany, and Scandinavia.
The historians also focus on how economic development impacted municipal politics, the growth of labor unions in Maine, and the establishment of ethnic neighborhoods in the state's most populous cities.
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