The Case of Lowell, Massachusetts, 1840-1860
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University of New Hampshire University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository Doctoral Dissertations Student Scholarship Spring 1976 VALUES ABOUT INDUSTRIALIZATION: THE CASE OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS, 1840-1860 ROBERT J. TOPITZER University of New Hampshire, Durham Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.unh.edu/dissertation Recommended Citation TOPITZER, ROBERT J., "VALUES ABOUT INDUSTRIALIZATION: THE CASE OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS, 1840-1860" (1976). Doctoral Dissertations. 2377. https://scholars.unh.edu/dissertation/2377 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Scholarship at University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized administrator of University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. INFORMATION TO USERS This material was produced from a microfilm copy of the original document. 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University Microfilms International 300 North Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106 USA St. John’s Road, Tyler's Green High Wycombe, Bucks, England HPtO 6HR 77-14,231 TOPITZER, Robert J., 1938- VALUES ABOUT INDUSTRIALIZATION: THE CASE OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS, 1840-1860. University of New Hamshire, Ph.D., 1976 Sociology, industrial Xerox University MicrofilmsAnn , Arbor, Michigan 48106 VALUES ABOUT INDUSTRIALIZATION: THE CASE OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS, 1840-1860 by Robert J. Topitzer B. S., College of the Holy Cross, 1960 A DISSERTATION Submitted to the University of New Hampshire In Partial Fulfillment of The Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Graduate School Department of Sociology May, 1976 This thesis has been examined and approved. of. of Sociology /» 'ray/A.Hs trails, Prof. of Sociology fhomaa R. Burns, Assoc. Prof. of Sociology Arnold S. Linsky, Assoc. Prof. of Sociology ri. <— „ . ( C v-v Charles Clark, Prof, of History ^ \ \ n ( = , D a t e A j ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This dissertation is a result of much interrupted effort punctuated by employment and residence changes. During that time the continued encouragement and generous assistance of my dissertation adviser, Professor Peter Dodge at the University of New Hampshire, were gifts gratefully accepted by me. The time-consuming and intricate reviews and criticisms offered by him and by other members of my Committee: Professors Murray Straus, Thomas Burns, Arnold Linsky, and Charles Clark, were the essential ingredients of my completion of this project. Many thanks are also offered to two historians who inspired my interest in the subject of this dissertation: Professor William Greenleaf who is now deceased and badly missed, and Professor Thomas Kemnitz. Very special thanks is extended to my wife Margaret, whose endurance and patience were heroic, and whose assistance was vital. Finally, I would like to thank collectively the many persons in libraries at the City of Lowell, Lowell Technological Institute, the Baker Library at Harvard, the Massachusetts State Library, and that at the University of New Hampshire for their competent advice; and I would also like to gratefully acknowledge the excellent typing assistance of Mrs. Pat Dignard. The responsibility for this dissertation, its findings and interpretations, are mine alone, but it could not have been completed at all without the aid of these people. R.J.T. Merrimac, Massachusetts May, 1976 iv TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES............................................V LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS..................................... vi ABSTRACT................................................. vii PREFACE................................................. viii I. INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY AS A RESEARCH PROBLEM............ 1 Research Questions.............................. 10 Expected Accomplishments and Significance of the Study.................. 17 Organization of Report.......................... 18 II. VALUES ABOUT INDUSTRIALIZATION: SELECTED PREVIOUS RESEARCH......................... 21 Working Class Values........................... 25 Elite Values..................................... 39 III. A CASE STUDY OF VALUES ABOUT INDUSTRIALIZATION............................. 49 The Saga of Lowell's Development............... 49 Elite Characteristics........................... 58 Economic and Social Changes in Lowell, 1840-1860............................ 60 General Implications: The Condition of the Worker....................64 The Emergence of the Press in Lowell..........71 Values in Lowell: The Available Record....... 78 IV. METHOD OF THE STUDY: STUDYING VALUES THROUGH NEWSPAPER CONTENT ANALYSIS................ 91 The Technique of Content Analysis............. 91 Previous Use of Newspapers for Value Studies............................... 95 v Techniques and Procedures of This Study....... 99 V. VALUES ABOUT INDUSTRIALIZATION: FINDINGS OF THE STUDY.............................. 104 Values About the Factory System............... 105 Wages............................................109 Conditions of Work. ......................113 Condition of the Worker........................117 Societal Effects of the Industrial System.... 118 Power Arrangements. ...................... 123 Authority of Capitalists.......................127 Capitalists' Paternalism and Benevolence 131 Hierarchical Arrangements.................. ...133 Social Welfare Orientation of the Social Order............................................134 Special Interest Orientation of the Social Order............................ 139 Reform of the Existing Social Order.................................... 142 Values About Industrialization: The "No Shows" ............................ 144 VI. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS............................ 154 NOTES FOR PREFACE................................... 175 NOTES FOR CHAPTER I .................. 176 NOTES FOR CHAPTER II................................ 183 NOTES FOR CHAPTER III............................... 191 NOTES FOR CHAPTER IV................................ 202 NOTES FOR CHAPTER V ................................. 208 NOTES FOR CHAPTER VI ................................ 213 BIBLIOGRAPHY........................................ 217 APPENDIX 1 .......................................... 238 APPENDIX II......................................... 246 vi List of Tables Values About the Factory System, by Newspaper Source....................... 107 Values About Wages, by Newspaper Source.. 108 Values About the Conditions of Work, by Newspaper Source....................... 114 Values About the Condition of the Worker, by Newspaper Source....................... 116 Values About the Societal Effects of the Industrial System by Newspaper Source....................... 119 Values About Power Arrangements, by Newspaper Source....................... 122 Values About Authority of Capitalists by Newspaper Source....................... 126 Values About Capitalists' Paternalism and Benevolence, by Newspaper Source.... 130 Values About Hierarchical Arrangements, by Newspaper Source....................... 132 Values About Social Welfare Orientation of Social Order, by Newspaper Source.... 135 Values About Special Interest Orientation of Social Order, by Newspaper Source.... 138 Values About Reform of the Existing Social Order, by Newspaper Source....... 141 vii List of Figures I. Values About the Factory System, by Newspaper Source..................................107 II. Values About Wages, by Newspaper Source................................................ 108 III. Values About the Conditions of Work, by Newspaper Source.................................. 114 IV. Values About the Condition of the Worker, by Newspaper Source.................................. 116 V. Values