• Bringing History Home, Tsongas Industrial History Center
  • Center for Lowell History at University of Massachusetts Lowell
  • Dublin, Thomas, 2nd ed. Farm to Factory: Women's Letters, 1830-1860. New York: Columbia University Press, 1993.
    A collection of letters written by early Lowell operatives. Includes commentary. Great for classroom use. (grades 7+)
  • Dublin, Thomas. Women at Work: The Transformation of Work and Life in Lowell, 1826-1860. New York: Columbia University Press, 1979.
    Provides a nice overview of changing demographics, gender roles, and living arrangements vis-a-vis industrialization.
  • Eisler, Bonnie. ed. The Lowell Offering, Writings by New England Mill Women, 1840-1845. New York: Harper Colophon Books - Harper and Row, 1977.
    Essays taken from the Lowell Offering, 1840-1845. Excellent when used in conjunction with primary and secondary source material. (grades 7+)
  • Factory Life As It Is. Lowell, MA: Lowell Female Labor Reform Association, 1845. Reprint: 1982, Lowell Publishing Company, Inc.
    Factory Tracts has been dubbed the "original voice of protest for working women in America." This booklet contains Tract #1 reprinted from the original, and excerpts of Tract #2 from the Voice of Industry, an early publication put out by workers and devoted to working class issues. (grades 7+)
  • Foner, Philip. The Factory Girls. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1977.
    This book is full of primary source material, including letters, images, and excerpts from the Voice of Industry and the Lowell Offering. Also contains extensive commentary on the life and times of 19th century female operatives. (grades 11+)
  • Lowell: The Story of an IndustrialCity. Washington, D.C.: National Park Service, 1993. 
    This booklet uses primary sources and historical analysis to provide a thorough overview of Lowell history from pre-industrial society to today. Highly recommended for teachers. Portions may be suitable for classroom use. (grades 8+)
  • Paterson, Katherine. Lyddie. New York: Lodestar, 1991.
    A story about young Lyddie who leaves her Vermont home in 1843 to work in Lowell's textile mills. Lyddie's fictional adventures typify many of the real challenges faced by young women of her time. An extremely effective teaching tool when used in conjunction with primary source material. (grades 6+)