1 00:00:03,279 --> 00:00:06,560 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff Mom Never told you From house Supports 2 00:00:06,600 --> 00:00:15,040 Speaker 1: dot com. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. I'm Kristen 3 00:00:15,160 --> 00:00:19,200 Speaker 1: and I'm Caroline, and we're recording this episode as a 4 00:00:19,239 --> 00:00:24,919 Speaker 1: celebration of International Women's Day, happens every March eight. Although 5 00:00:24,960 --> 00:00:28,000 Speaker 1: I kind of feel like International Women's Day and Gallantine's 6 00:00:28,080 --> 00:00:33,320 Speaker 1: Day should just be folded into the same February celebration 7 00:00:33,760 --> 00:00:36,239 Speaker 1: as long as it is still like really cool and 8 00:00:36,320 --> 00:00:39,400 Speaker 1: pro lady and pro awesome ladies, as opposed to what 9 00:00:39,440 --> 00:00:42,240 Speaker 1: Women's Day in Russia has become, which it had such 10 00:00:42,360 --> 00:00:46,680 Speaker 1: great strong political roots in Russia, and now Women's Day 11 00:00:46,840 --> 00:00:53,240 Speaker 1: is like this weird Valentine's Mother's Day saccerin hybrid where 12 00:00:53,360 --> 00:00:55,000 Speaker 1: and you're like, what's wrong with that? At least take 13 00:00:55,000 --> 00:00:57,720 Speaker 1: a candy. It's like, yeah, you get candy and flowers, 14 00:00:58,200 --> 00:01:02,640 Speaker 1: but it's in celebration of of um, Like how sweet 15 00:01:02,680 --> 00:01:07,760 Speaker 1: and sexy lady is not necessarily like go women. Yeah, 16 00:01:07,800 --> 00:01:11,399 Speaker 1: there was a really awkward photo that I found of 17 00:01:12,120 --> 00:01:17,120 Speaker 1: Vladimir Putin handing bouquets of tulips to a group of 18 00:01:17,240 --> 00:01:22,280 Speaker 1: Russian women and he was almost smiling, but it just 19 00:01:22,680 --> 00:01:25,880 Speaker 1: did not look like a very celebratory affair and only 20 00:01:25,920 --> 00:01:29,959 Speaker 1: smiles when he's riding bears shirtless in the wilderness exactly. Um, 21 00:01:30,160 --> 00:01:34,319 Speaker 1: but the looks on the women's faces said to me like, well, 22 00:01:35,160 --> 00:01:40,720 Speaker 1: here's this, here's bouque. Alright, this is all I'm getting. Well, 23 00:01:40,760 --> 00:01:42,680 Speaker 1: I mean there was I forget where I was reading 24 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:45,240 Speaker 1: the article. It might have been in the Washington Post 25 00:01:45,400 --> 00:01:48,000 Speaker 1: or the Wall Street Journal, one of those really important 26 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:51,600 Speaker 1: newspapers that I regularly read. Um, but your name dropping 27 00:01:51,640 --> 00:01:56,040 Speaker 1: paper absolutely j school nerd alert. But the reporter was 28 00:01:56,080 --> 00:02:00,960 Speaker 1: talking to younger women in Russia who are so over 29 00:02:01,440 --> 00:02:04,880 Speaker 1: International Women's Day because they're like, we would just prefer 30 00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:11,880 Speaker 1: maybe more rights, higher wages rather than flowers once a year. Yeah. 31 00:02:11,919 --> 00:02:14,360 Speaker 1: I like one idea in that article that was quoted 32 00:02:14,480 --> 00:02:17,680 Speaker 1: of how to celebrate Women's Day in Russia was like, 33 00:02:18,160 --> 00:02:21,520 Speaker 1: you know, just flowers and coffee won't do. Guys. You know, 34 00:02:22,040 --> 00:02:24,760 Speaker 1: maybe go on a car race with your lady, but 35 00:02:24,840 --> 00:02:27,280 Speaker 1: there is a dilemma when it comes to whether she 36 00:02:27,280 --> 00:02:32,720 Speaker 1: should be the driver or the navigators. Yeah. Okay, so 37 00:02:32,960 --> 00:02:39,440 Speaker 1: International Women's Day in Russia not so rad yet yet, 38 00:02:40,120 --> 00:02:44,000 Speaker 1: because we're going to talk to you about the secret 39 00:02:44,080 --> 00:02:47,600 Speaker 1: history of international Women's Day and how it came about 40 00:02:48,000 --> 00:02:50,520 Speaker 1: in the United States, and why it is about so 41 00:02:50,600 --> 00:02:55,960 Speaker 1: much more than just posting of Instagram photos of rad ladies. 42 00:02:56,040 --> 00:02:58,720 Speaker 1: I mean, of course we'll probably post like some notorious 43 00:02:58,800 --> 00:03:01,239 Speaker 1: RBG photos things like that, but it's spelt so much 44 00:03:01,280 --> 00:03:05,920 Speaker 1: more than just oh oh women, you know, polite applause, 45 00:03:06,480 --> 00:03:10,920 Speaker 1: because the labor history behind it is I mean a 46 00:03:11,480 --> 00:03:15,560 Speaker 1: something that we don't hear about very often and be 47 00:03:16,240 --> 00:03:21,880 Speaker 1: something that does deserve our recognition, right because labor feminists, 48 00:03:22,040 --> 00:03:25,000 Speaker 1: so to speak, have really led the way in this 49 00:03:25,200 --> 00:03:28,960 Speaker 1: country for establishing the fight for rights and and at 50 00:03:29,000 --> 00:03:32,880 Speaker 1: one time for suffrage. Yeah, and in fact, International Women's 51 00:03:32,919 --> 00:03:36,920 Speaker 1: Day was inspired by female factory workers going on strike, 52 00:03:37,080 --> 00:03:39,760 Speaker 1: and like we said, it's definitely worth taking a look 53 00:03:39,800 --> 00:03:43,160 Speaker 1: at how all of that went down. And we're focusing 54 00:03:43,560 --> 00:03:45,040 Speaker 1: on the United States. I know, we were just talking 55 00:03:45,040 --> 00:03:47,680 Speaker 1: about Russia for a few minutes. We're coming back to 56 00:03:47,720 --> 00:03:52,680 Speaker 1: the United States, um, partially to fill in this huge 57 00:03:52,720 --> 00:03:56,440 Speaker 1: gap in our history of labor organizing that we rarely 58 00:03:56,480 --> 00:03:59,640 Speaker 1: hear about. And uh, this info we're about to cover 59 00:03:59,840 --> 00:04:03,960 Speaker 1: is coming from articles from in These Times and Urbana 60 00:04:04,080 --> 00:04:08,280 Speaker 1: Champagne Independent Media Center. So when it comes to striking, 61 00:04:09,280 --> 00:04:13,000 Speaker 1: people have walked off their jobs in protests since the 62 00:04:13,080 --> 00:04:16,839 Speaker 1: medieval period. We've always been fed up with our horrible 63 00:04:16,880 --> 00:04:20,279 Speaker 1: bosses and walked out. But in terms of the organized 64 00:04:20,279 --> 00:04:23,719 Speaker 1: strikes as we think of them today, those didn't really 65 00:04:23,720 --> 00:04:27,840 Speaker 1: start until the early nineteenth century. And you know who 66 00:04:27,920 --> 00:04:31,520 Speaker 1: led the way, Caroline women, textile workers. I didn't even 67 00:04:31,560 --> 00:04:33,279 Speaker 1: wait for you to answer. I was so excited I 68 00:04:33,360 --> 00:04:37,280 Speaker 1: opened my mouth and then yes. And but of course 69 00:04:37,279 --> 00:04:39,320 Speaker 1: it was called turning out at the time. They weren't striking, 70 00:04:39,320 --> 00:04:41,160 Speaker 1: they were turning out, which I like that. It's like 71 00:04:41,200 --> 00:04:43,200 Speaker 1: you're you're turning out in support of, you know, like 72 00:04:43,320 --> 00:04:46,239 Speaker 1: getting paid. Yeah. I feel like there's like a little 73 00:04:46,320 --> 00:04:48,159 Speaker 1: dance move that would go along with that, you know, 74 00:04:48,520 --> 00:04:53,320 Speaker 1: the turn out. Yeah, a little hip swivel and sachet away. Yes. 75 00:04:54,120 --> 00:04:57,840 Speaker 1: Uh So in eight four, uh, you get America's first 76 00:04:57,880 --> 00:05:01,159 Speaker 1: textile mills, Slater Mill and popp Tucket, Rhode Island, which, 77 00:05:01,200 --> 00:05:02,760 Speaker 1: by the way, is now a museum if you'd like 78 00:05:02,800 --> 00:05:06,720 Speaker 1: to visit, which absolutely I would never been to Rhode 79 00:05:06,760 --> 00:05:10,960 Speaker 1: Island before anyway. Slater Mill was the site of the 80 00:05:11,120 --> 00:05:14,919 Speaker 1: first factory organized strike in the United States, and it 81 00:05:14,960 --> 00:05:19,480 Speaker 1: was initiated by Kristen a bunch of angry women. True story. 82 00:05:19,800 --> 00:05:22,240 Speaker 1: It was also the first strike of any kind involving women, 83 00:05:22,839 --> 00:05:28,520 Speaker 1: and originally, which is horrifying, the mill owners hired children 84 00:05:28,640 --> 00:05:32,680 Speaker 1: to run the looms, but a bunch of new mechanization 85 00:05:32,760 --> 00:05:36,440 Speaker 1: technology demanded that you get a more skilled labor force, 86 00:05:36,600 --> 00:05:39,799 Speaker 1: but they still had to be cheap. So who's maybe 87 00:05:39,800 --> 00:05:44,520 Speaker 1: a little taller, but also as cheap as children at 88 00:05:44,560 --> 00:05:48,120 Speaker 1: this time, A bunch of angry women, Yeah, exactly. So 89 00:05:48,279 --> 00:05:52,080 Speaker 1: they bring these ladies in and the owners assumed, uh, 90 00:05:52,240 --> 00:05:55,280 Speaker 1: women are really just tall children, so they will be 91 00:05:55,440 --> 00:05:59,040 Speaker 1: very easy to control. Yeah, we're not even being sarcastic listeners. 92 00:05:59,040 --> 00:06:01,800 Speaker 1: A number of the source is we were reading about 93 00:06:01,880 --> 00:06:08,040 Speaker 1: Slader Mill and this historic strike emphasized how the mill 94 00:06:08,279 --> 00:06:12,880 Speaker 1: owners and managers were just so perplexed when the women, 95 00:06:13,279 --> 00:06:16,679 Speaker 1: you know, revolted because they're like, but they we thought 96 00:06:18,760 --> 00:06:22,680 Speaker 1: you're supposed to be just tall children, um, And so 97 00:06:23,400 --> 00:06:26,680 Speaker 1: they were wrong. They were wrong. And one hundred and 98 00:06:26,760 --> 00:06:30,440 Speaker 1: two women between the ages of fifteen and thirty abandoned 99 00:06:30,440 --> 00:06:34,719 Speaker 1: their textile looms to protest a twenty five wage cut, 100 00:06:35,440 --> 00:06:38,440 Speaker 1: and they went on strike and they won back a 101 00:06:38,520 --> 00:06:43,080 Speaker 1: majority of their wage, and this inspired future strikes around 102 00:06:43,120 --> 00:06:50,520 Speaker 1: New England, including strikes organized by those famous low Girls. Yeah, 103 00:06:50,520 --> 00:06:53,200 Speaker 1: we could do an entire podcast on the Lowell Girls, 104 00:06:53,279 --> 00:06:56,400 Speaker 1: and I checked and stuff you missed in history class 105 00:06:56,720 --> 00:06:59,599 Speaker 1: has not devoted a podcast of the Little Girls that 106 00:06:59,640 --> 00:07:02,760 Speaker 1: I know of. I could be mistaken, um, but we 107 00:07:02,800 --> 00:07:05,600 Speaker 1: should probably suggest it to Tracy and Holly. But we're 108 00:07:05,600 --> 00:07:07,320 Speaker 1: still going to talk about him for a little bit 109 00:07:07,400 --> 00:07:12,760 Speaker 1: because this provides such important context to the environment leading 110 00:07:12,840 --> 00:07:16,880 Speaker 1: up to International Women Say the founding of it. So 111 00:07:16,920 --> 00:07:22,280 Speaker 1: in the twenties, Lowell, Massachusetts is incorporated as a planned 112 00:07:22,480 --> 00:07:26,120 Speaker 1: town for textile manufacturing, which to me sounds a lot 113 00:07:26,160 --> 00:07:29,600 Speaker 1: like today's mixed use developments, only without you know, like 114 00:07:29,680 --> 00:07:35,000 Speaker 1: t J Max's and any amenities. And Okay, it's not 115 00:07:35,040 --> 00:07:37,640 Speaker 1: like that at all. That's kind of horrible. Um. But 116 00:07:37,760 --> 00:07:42,120 Speaker 1: over the next couple of decades, Lowell employed eight thousand 117 00:07:42,200 --> 00:07:45,680 Speaker 1: mill operatives, as they called them, and they were mostly 118 00:07:46,360 --> 00:07:49,560 Speaker 1: like at Slater Mill, they were mostly women and kids 119 00:07:49,840 --> 00:07:52,960 Speaker 1: who would come in from farming families in rural New England. 120 00:07:53,800 --> 00:07:56,920 Speaker 1: And this employment, of course offered a new kind of freedom, 121 00:07:57,000 --> 00:08:00,000 Speaker 1: particularly for the women, got them out of their house 122 00:08:00,640 --> 00:08:05,000 Speaker 1: but it also stoked public fears about up ending gender 123 00:08:05,120 --> 00:08:09,600 Speaker 1: roles and family values, and some even considered it unvirtuous 124 00:08:09,640 --> 00:08:12,080 Speaker 1: to be a factory girl. Yeah, this is definitely echoes 125 00:08:12,120 --> 00:08:14,320 Speaker 1: and shades of what we talked about in our babysitting 126 00:08:14,320 --> 00:08:17,480 Speaker 1: episode about the the advent of the teenager and how 127 00:08:17,520 --> 00:08:19,840 Speaker 1: immediately there were fears about what she was doing and 128 00:08:19,880 --> 00:08:23,440 Speaker 1: who she was doing it with. I mean, seriously, it's like, 129 00:08:23,520 --> 00:08:26,760 Speaker 1: let's get some cheap labor in here, and let's pay them, 130 00:08:26,880 --> 00:08:28,920 Speaker 1: but then we're going to be awfully scared about what 131 00:08:28,920 --> 00:08:32,559 Speaker 1: they're going to do with that money. Exactly because wantonness 132 00:08:32,720 --> 00:08:38,480 Speaker 1: looms at the textile mills. Kuldn't resist. I'm actually really sorry, 133 00:08:39,160 --> 00:08:41,320 Speaker 1: but I mean it's not like they weren't unsupervised. All 134 00:08:41,360 --> 00:08:45,920 Speaker 1: of these low mill operatives lived in factory and boarding houses, 135 00:08:46,679 --> 00:08:51,080 Speaker 1: but the room and board also came out of their paychecks. Yeah. 136 00:08:51,160 --> 00:08:53,679 Speaker 1: So for a sample work week for a little girl, 137 00:08:54,440 --> 00:08:58,160 Speaker 1: you'd work about eighty hours a week, and and at 138 00:08:58,200 --> 00:09:00,960 Speaker 1: one point so that the work day used to start 139 00:09:01,000 --> 00:09:03,359 Speaker 1: at seven am. They would wake up and have breakfast 140 00:09:03,640 --> 00:09:08,040 Speaker 1: and then start working. But then this real genius of 141 00:09:08,080 --> 00:09:09,760 Speaker 1: a guy that rolls into the mill, and he's like, 142 00:09:09,800 --> 00:09:12,920 Speaker 1: you know what, we've noticed those women work so well, 143 00:09:13,280 --> 00:09:15,800 Speaker 1: just right when they wake up. So let's start the 144 00:09:15,840 --> 00:09:18,760 Speaker 1: work day at five, and then we'll give them a 145 00:09:18,800 --> 00:09:20,840 Speaker 1: little bit of a breakfast break and they can get 146 00:09:20,880 --> 00:09:24,000 Speaker 1: back to work at seven. So they work for eighty 147 00:09:24,000 --> 00:09:28,160 Speaker 1: hours a week, and they make a whopping three dollars, 148 00:09:28,200 --> 00:09:31,520 Speaker 1: of which a dollar twenty five goes right back to 149 00:09:31,640 --> 00:09:34,960 Speaker 1: Lowell to pay for their room and board. Yes, so 150 00:09:35,080 --> 00:09:39,160 Speaker 1: things aren't glowing by any means. And when textile competition 151 00:09:39,200 --> 00:09:42,600 Speaker 1: starts to step up in commodity prices drop, Lowell ends 152 00:09:42,720 --> 00:09:45,720 Speaker 1: up cutting wages, and as you might imagine, all of 153 00:09:45,760 --> 00:09:50,920 Speaker 1: those ladies were none too pleased. Yeah, and apparently, as 154 00:09:50,960 --> 00:09:54,920 Speaker 1: some sources have noted, the Lowell girls were already considered 155 00:09:54,960 --> 00:09:56,800 Speaker 1: kind of rebel rousers. I mean the fact that they 156 00:09:56,800 --> 00:10:01,280 Speaker 1: were working outside the home and they gave the owners 157 00:10:01,400 --> 00:10:04,600 Speaker 1: a lot of golf um. But I mean, this is 158 00:10:04,679 --> 00:10:08,920 Speaker 1: such a crucial point in our American labor history because 159 00:10:09,040 --> 00:10:14,280 Speaker 1: in four the Lowell girls strike to protest um. But 160 00:10:14,400 --> 00:10:17,160 Speaker 1: the company quickly cracks down. But still it's significant. You 161 00:10:17,200 --> 00:10:21,280 Speaker 1: have eight hundred of their workers, which was about a 162 00:10:21,400 --> 00:10:26,600 Speaker 1: sixth of the mill force going on strike, and to 163 00:10:26,880 --> 00:10:29,680 Speaker 1: also drive home the significance of this and the gender 164 00:10:29,720 --> 00:10:32,920 Speaker 1: politics of the day. There's a mill worker named Harriet 165 00:10:32,920 --> 00:10:35,840 Speaker 1: Hansen Robinson who was there, and she wrote about the 166 00:10:35,880 --> 00:10:39,880 Speaker 1: incident later, and she recalled a female coworker hopping up 167 00:10:39,920 --> 00:10:45,440 Speaker 1: on a stump and delivering this impromptu pro strike speech, 168 00:10:45,720 --> 00:10:51,600 Speaker 1: probably doing her little turnout Sasha move and Robinson said 169 00:10:51,640 --> 00:10:54,720 Speaker 1: this was the first time a woman had spoken in public, 170 00:10:54,840 --> 00:10:59,200 Speaker 1: and Lowell and its echoes similar kinds of milestones like 171 00:10:59,280 --> 00:11:01,760 Speaker 1: that with the ten Prince movement and the abolition movement 172 00:11:01,800 --> 00:11:07,120 Speaker 1: and suffrage, where you have this social consciousness raising among 173 00:11:07,440 --> 00:11:10,760 Speaker 1: and within groups of women, inspiring them to speak out 174 00:11:10,840 --> 00:11:13,880 Speaker 1: publicly for the very first time. Yeah, not only did 175 00:11:13,880 --> 00:11:16,480 Speaker 1: you have that one woman sashing on the stump, but 176 00:11:16,559 --> 00:11:20,920 Speaker 1: women marched through town. They made speeches, they passed resolutions 177 00:11:20,920 --> 00:11:23,680 Speaker 1: within their group, and of course held meetings, which is 178 00:11:23,720 --> 00:11:28,800 Speaker 1: so dangerous women holding meetings. But apparently those kinds of activities, 179 00:11:28,840 --> 00:11:31,560 Speaker 1: aside from maybe making speeches, that does seem a little radical, 180 00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:36,480 Speaker 1: but them parading through town and meeting among themselves was 181 00:11:36,520 --> 00:11:42,520 Speaker 1: still considered female appropriate. They weren't pushing their boundaries too far. 182 00:11:42,920 --> 00:11:46,480 Speaker 1: But I gotta say as a twenty one century reader 183 00:11:46,600 --> 00:11:48,880 Speaker 1: of um, because there was a lot of writing about this. 184 00:11:49,679 --> 00:11:53,160 Speaker 1: Their rhetoric was very independence heavy, you know, they called 185 00:11:53,160 --> 00:11:56,360 Speaker 1: themselves daughters of freedom, which okay, but it was also 186 00:11:56,480 --> 00:12:00,440 Speaker 1: very slave heavy, where they continually compared their working auditions 187 00:12:00,520 --> 00:12:03,400 Speaker 1: to slavery, and we're like, how dare you United States 188 00:12:03,440 --> 00:12:06,480 Speaker 1: enslave us in these working conditions? Which is a little 189 00:12:06,520 --> 00:12:10,080 Speaker 1: bit awkward because this is an eighteen thirty four in 190 00:12:10,120 --> 00:12:13,840 Speaker 1: America is still like almost thirty years away from legally 191 00:12:13,840 --> 00:12:19,319 Speaker 1: abolishing actual slavery. Yeah, that's a little um, that is 192 00:12:19,320 --> 00:12:23,439 Speaker 1: a little icky. Yeah, But I mean, like for the 193 00:12:23,920 --> 00:12:26,520 Speaker 1: for the times, it made sense. They were trying to 194 00:12:26,800 --> 00:12:35,120 Speaker 1: essentially spin there patriotic womanhood into something to get them 195 00:12:35,160 --> 00:12:39,200 Speaker 1: better working conditions. Yeah. Well, so two years later we 196 00:12:39,240 --> 00:12:43,120 Speaker 1: get the second strike and things really intensify at this point, 197 00:12:43,520 --> 00:12:47,640 Speaker 1: and while the textile economy itself was fine, Lowell still 198 00:12:47,720 --> 00:12:50,760 Speaker 1: raised the room and board costs for women, and the 199 00:12:50,880 --> 00:12:54,280 Speaker 1: law mill girls are like, I don't think so, buddy, 200 00:12:54,720 --> 00:12:59,239 Speaker 1: No way. This time of the workforce, which was between 201 00:12:59,760 --> 00:13:04,480 Speaker 1: two thousand participants, went on strike and the mills ran 202 00:13:04,559 --> 00:13:07,880 Speaker 1: below capacity for months, even though I mean they ended up, 203 00:13:08,120 --> 00:13:11,959 Speaker 1: you know, the company ended up negotiating with them. Um, 204 00:13:12,040 --> 00:13:15,880 Speaker 1: they still felt the impact of that strike, and the 205 00:13:15,920 --> 00:13:19,760 Speaker 1: women also formed the Factory Girls Association. So these are 206 00:13:19,800 --> 00:13:25,280 Speaker 1: the first seeds you see of female lead union organizing. 207 00:13:25,480 --> 00:13:29,080 Speaker 1: And scholars have said that this signaled what they called 208 00:13:29,120 --> 00:13:36,160 Speaker 1: a new consciousness among these working class women who we're 209 00:13:36,200 --> 00:13:40,240 Speaker 1: really trying to combine the domestic values that they were 210 00:13:40,320 --> 00:13:43,640 Speaker 1: raised with in an urbanized setting to temper all of 211 00:13:43,679 --> 00:13:48,199 Speaker 1: those fears and criticisms of them as being unvirtuous women 212 00:13:48,240 --> 00:13:52,840 Speaker 1: who are just up ending gender roles. And this action 213 00:13:52,960 --> 00:13:55,400 Speaker 1: would lay the foundation for what was called the ten 214 00:13:55,480 --> 00:13:58,880 Speaker 1: hour movement, yeah, cutting back on those what was an 215 00:13:58,880 --> 00:14:04,440 Speaker 1: eighty two hour week, yeah something. So by four all 216 00:14:04,440 --> 00:14:08,800 Speaker 1: of those low operatives they've continued to wise up, they've 217 00:14:08,800 --> 00:14:12,559 Speaker 1: continued to get mad, and they are continuing to get political, 218 00:14:12,960 --> 00:14:16,720 Speaker 1: and they form the Low Female Labor Reform Association, which 219 00:14:16,720 --> 00:14:20,680 Speaker 1: is the first union of American working women that focused 220 00:14:20,680 --> 00:14:24,560 Speaker 1: on winning that ten hour work day. And this group 221 00:14:25,160 --> 00:14:30,080 Speaker 1: gets credit for initiating some of the earliest reforms in 222 00:14:30,720 --> 00:14:35,120 Speaker 1: the textile industries working conditions and as a piece over 223 00:14:35,200 --> 00:14:37,360 Speaker 1: at the a f l c i O notes that 224 00:14:38,080 --> 00:14:41,960 Speaker 1: since women couldn't vote at the time, the Low Female 225 00:14:42,080 --> 00:14:46,520 Speaker 1: Labor Reform Association was focused on petition campaigns. So they 226 00:14:46,520 --> 00:14:48,840 Speaker 1: were like, Okay, we can get all these signatures and 227 00:14:48,840 --> 00:14:52,160 Speaker 1: then we'll take it to the Massachusetts state legislature and 228 00:14:52,200 --> 00:14:56,720 Speaker 1: get them to legally cap the work day at ten hours. 229 00:14:57,320 --> 00:14:59,640 Speaker 1: So they did that. They were collecting signatures, they were 230 00:14:59,720 --> 00:15:03,520 Speaker 1: organ iizing other chapters, union chapters at other mills. They 231 00:15:03,560 --> 00:15:08,600 Speaker 1: started publishing what they called factory tracks to expose mill conditions, 232 00:15:08,960 --> 00:15:13,040 Speaker 1: and they were also actively testifying before state legislators. So 233 00:15:13,640 --> 00:15:16,360 Speaker 1: you have to see how determine these women were to 234 00:15:16,560 --> 00:15:20,800 Speaker 1: work within the constraints that they had, both economically and politically, 235 00:15:21,320 --> 00:15:23,760 Speaker 1: and we're still intent on saying nope, we're going to 236 00:15:23,880 --> 00:15:26,160 Speaker 1: make this happen. Yeah, there was a lot of lady 237 00:15:26,200 --> 00:15:29,280 Speaker 1: power going on. There was one low mill girl writing 238 00:15:29,320 --> 00:15:32,760 Speaker 1: about this who said they have at least learned the 239 00:15:32,880 --> 00:15:36,560 Speaker 1: lesson which a bitter experience teaches. Not to those who 240 00:15:36,600 --> 00:15:39,720 Speaker 1: style themselves their natural protectors are they to look for 241 00:15:39,760 --> 00:15:43,720 Speaker 1: the needful help, but to the strong and resolute of 242 00:15:43,760 --> 00:15:47,640 Speaker 1: their own sex. So like, don't depend on these men 243 00:15:47,720 --> 00:15:50,200 Speaker 1: who are running the mills, or even the men who 244 00:15:50,200 --> 00:15:53,960 Speaker 1: are running the government. You have to help yourself. So 245 00:15:54,040 --> 00:15:56,760 Speaker 1: listeners are probably wondering at this point what happened to 246 00:15:56,800 --> 00:16:00,880 Speaker 1: International Women's Day. Well, friends, don't don't worry, because we're 247 00:16:00,880 --> 00:16:02,960 Speaker 1: about to stitch it all together when we come right 248 00:16:03,000 --> 00:16:16,360 Speaker 1: back from a quick break. So this is where the 249 00:16:16,400 --> 00:16:19,680 Speaker 1: podcast takes a little bit of a conspiratorial turn. And 250 00:16:19,720 --> 00:16:22,479 Speaker 1: I've been so excited to talk to you about this, Caroline, 251 00:16:22,560 --> 00:16:27,800 Speaker 1: because talk about some podcasts research really throw in a 252 00:16:27,840 --> 00:16:33,160 Speaker 1: curveball at us, because here's the thing. Allegedly, International Women's 253 00:16:33,200 --> 00:16:36,320 Speaker 1: Day was inspired by a strike on March eight, eight 254 00:16:36,960 --> 00:16:40,880 Speaker 1: seven that was, you know, continuing in this tradition that 255 00:16:40,920 --> 00:16:44,360 Speaker 1: women were developing of organizing going on strike. Um, these 256 00:16:44,400 --> 00:16:47,960 Speaker 1: were supposedly women garment workers in New York City who 257 00:16:48,040 --> 00:16:52,160 Speaker 1: marched and picketed demanding improved working conditions again the ten 258 00:16:52,200 --> 00:16:56,560 Speaker 1: hour work day and equal rights for women, and police 259 00:16:56,600 --> 00:17:04,760 Speaker 1: responded with brutality, clubbing them allegedly, yes, and then allegedly 260 00:17:05,600 --> 00:17:10,320 Speaker 1: on March eight, nineteen o eight, apparently supposedly allegedly the 261 00:17:10,359 --> 00:17:14,320 Speaker 1: needle trades ladies in New York marched again, honoring the 262 00:17:14,359 --> 00:17:17,719 Speaker 1: eighteen fifty seven march, again demanding the vote and an 263 00:17:17,800 --> 00:17:20,800 Speaker 1: end of sweatshops and child labor. This all sounds really good. 264 00:17:20,800 --> 00:17:24,440 Speaker 1: This all sounds like a great foundation for International Women's Day. Yeah, 265 00:17:24,480 --> 00:17:27,800 Speaker 1: of course we should recognize those those two strikes that 266 00:17:27,880 --> 00:17:30,440 Speaker 1: may or may not have happened. Um, But if we 267 00:17:30,480 --> 00:17:33,520 Speaker 1: pull back for a minute, especially if we look at 268 00:17:33,680 --> 00:17:39,080 Speaker 1: nineteen o eight when that second strike allegedly maybe supposedly happened. 269 00:17:39,600 --> 00:17:43,040 Speaker 1: By this time post Civil War, we have women and 270 00:17:43,119 --> 00:17:48,199 Speaker 1: especially widows flooding the job market like never before. But 271 00:17:48,240 --> 00:17:52,320 Speaker 1: when they arrive looking for jobs, unions are largely uninterested 272 00:17:52,359 --> 00:17:56,240 Speaker 1: in representing them. So like that Lowell mill girl recommended, 273 00:17:56,280 --> 00:17:59,240 Speaker 1: don't depend on the dudes, turn to your lady friends. 274 00:17:59,640 --> 00:18:04,399 Speaker 1: So they began forming their own organizations and initiatives. And 275 00:18:04,400 --> 00:18:07,439 Speaker 1: this is also the time when you have working class 276 00:18:07,480 --> 00:18:11,359 Speaker 1: women's labor demands intersecting with the work of suffragists and 277 00:18:11,440 --> 00:18:15,560 Speaker 1: progressive era feminist like Jane Adams, Florence Kelly, and Rose Snyderman. 278 00:18:15,760 --> 00:18:18,560 Speaker 1: And speaking of Stuffy miss in history class a little 279 00:18:18,560 --> 00:18:21,159 Speaker 1: while back, they do have an episode I know on 280 00:18:21,280 --> 00:18:24,000 Speaker 1: Jane Adams. And in eighteen sixty nine you get the 281 00:18:24,040 --> 00:18:27,280 Speaker 1: publication of Subjection of Women by John Stuart Mill, which 282 00:18:27,320 --> 00:18:30,920 Speaker 1: is possibly jointly written with his wife, Harriet Taylor Mill, 283 00:18:31,520 --> 00:18:35,280 Speaker 1: which helps launch an argument for gender equality. So it's 284 00:18:35,280 --> 00:18:39,680 Speaker 1: really kind of infiltrating popular discourse. And in eighty nine, 285 00:18:39,800 --> 00:18:43,840 Speaker 1: the International Socialist Congress accepted the principle of women's right 286 00:18:43,920 --> 00:18:46,199 Speaker 1: to work and equal pay. And you might be like, oh, 287 00:18:46,280 --> 00:18:48,480 Speaker 1: why why are they mentioning socialists all of a sudden. 288 00:18:49,200 --> 00:18:52,439 Speaker 1: Don't worry, it'll make sense in a second. And in 289 00:18:52,560 --> 00:18:56,159 Speaker 1: nineteen o three, the Women's Trade Union League was formed, 290 00:18:56,200 --> 00:18:59,200 Speaker 1: So we see more and more and more organizing happening 291 00:18:59,280 --> 00:19:03,240 Speaker 1: among the women. And that brings us to nine nine, 292 00:19:03,440 --> 00:19:06,040 Speaker 1: which is a pivotal year in the history of International 293 00:19:06,119 --> 00:19:10,359 Speaker 1: Women's Day because on February, the Socialist Party in the 294 00:19:10,480 --> 00:19:15,560 Speaker 1: United States celebrates the first National Women's Day in New York, 295 00:19:15,920 --> 00:19:19,879 Speaker 1: allegedly to honor those two strikes when that happened in 296 00:19:20,080 --> 00:19:23,960 Speaker 1: eighteen fifty seven and then in nineteen o eight. Yeah, 297 00:19:24,000 --> 00:19:26,000 Speaker 1: so they didn't have the Google to be able to 298 00:19:26,119 --> 00:19:32,200 Speaker 1: verify whether those strikes had indeed happened exactly. We are 299 00:19:32,240 --> 00:19:35,320 Speaker 1: sounding very like what we're teasing a lot of information here, uh. 300 00:19:35,320 --> 00:19:37,399 Speaker 1: And then in November of that year, in November nineteen 301 00:19:37,400 --> 00:19:40,960 Speaker 1: o nine, you get the International Ladies Garment Workers Union 302 00:19:41,320 --> 00:19:44,760 Speaker 1: that teams up with the National Women's Trade Union League 303 00:19:44,840 --> 00:19:50,000 Speaker 1: and they launched the first long term general strike by women. 304 00:19:50,600 --> 00:19:54,560 Speaker 1: And this was a strike a turning out against Leaser 305 00:19:54,600 --> 00:19:57,800 Speaker 1: Setting Company and a Triangle Waste company, two of the 306 00:19:57,880 --> 00:20:01,600 Speaker 1: quote most notorious shops in New York. And for listeners 307 00:20:01,640 --> 00:20:04,560 Speaker 1: in New York, the Lower East Side was where all 308 00:20:04,600 --> 00:20:07,639 Speaker 1: of this stuff was happening. That was the factory hub, 309 00:20:07,760 --> 00:20:13,080 Speaker 1: and shirtwaist workers were among the worst paid. And shirtwaist 310 00:20:13,160 --> 00:20:15,720 Speaker 1: for anyone who didn't know, like me, what exactly that was, 311 00:20:15,800 --> 00:20:18,000 Speaker 1: I was thinking, like, is that a cumber bund or what? 312 00:20:18,680 --> 00:20:20,879 Speaker 1: It's just another name for a blouse. It was like 313 00:20:21,080 --> 00:20:24,520 Speaker 1: a super popular type of blows, women's blows at the time. 314 00:20:25,160 --> 00:20:28,399 Speaker 1: So these workers, though, were among the worst paid. And 315 00:20:28,400 --> 00:20:32,600 Speaker 1: we're mostly Eastern European Jewish immigrants, So this is a 316 00:20:32,600 --> 00:20:36,760 Speaker 1: group of people who don't have a ton of political leverage, 317 00:20:36,800 --> 00:20:41,440 Speaker 1: but they're organizing through these unions to form what's nicknamed 318 00:20:41,480 --> 00:20:45,400 Speaker 1: the Uprising of twenty thousand and it started out as 319 00:20:45,480 --> 00:20:49,880 Speaker 1: just that joint effort by the women's unions, but then 320 00:20:49,880 --> 00:20:53,600 Speaker 1: it became a general strike after a woman named Clara 321 00:20:53,840 --> 00:20:57,520 Speaker 1: Lemlick asked to be heard in a Cooper union meeting. 322 00:20:57,560 --> 00:20:59,280 Speaker 1: They were discussing, like, Okay, what are we gonna do? 323 00:20:59,480 --> 00:21:03,000 Speaker 1: They've got the shirtwaist strike. How do we feel about this? 324 00:21:03,280 --> 00:21:05,879 Speaker 1: A couple of guys got up and gave some lackluster 325 00:21:06,000 --> 00:21:10,159 Speaker 1: speeches and they're like okay. So leml gets up and, 326 00:21:10,240 --> 00:21:14,600 Speaker 1: speaking in Yiddish, she declared, I am tired of listening 327 00:21:14,600 --> 00:21:17,399 Speaker 1: to speakers who talk in general terms. What we are 328 00:21:17,480 --> 00:21:20,200 Speaker 1: here for is to decide whether we shall or shall 329 00:21:20,240 --> 00:21:23,439 Speaker 1: not strike. I offer a resolution that a general strike 330 00:21:23,600 --> 00:21:26,720 Speaker 1: be declared now. And she fired that crowd up so 331 00:21:26,840 --> 00:21:31,840 Speaker 1: much that they determined then and there to join the strike. Yeah, 332 00:21:31,920 --> 00:21:34,359 Speaker 1: and they I mean they took an oath. It was 333 00:21:34,400 --> 00:21:37,560 Speaker 1: all sorts of excitement going on, so much excitement that 334 00:21:37,960 --> 00:21:40,359 Speaker 1: there were several men at the time who said that 335 00:21:40,400 --> 00:21:44,080 Speaker 1: the thirteen week long strike was a strike against God. 336 00:21:44,840 --> 00:21:48,040 Speaker 1: And one of my favorite things was what George Bernard 337 00:21:48,119 --> 00:21:52,520 Speaker 1: Shaw wrote upon reading this. He said, delightful medieval America 338 00:21:52,600 --> 00:21:56,320 Speaker 1: always an intimate personal confidence of the Almighty. And I 339 00:21:56,359 --> 00:21:58,879 Speaker 1: love it because it almost sounds modern, the way that 340 00:21:59,119 --> 00:22:03,879 Speaker 1: men so men hashtag nettlemen. Uh tend to frame a 341 00:22:03,880 --> 00:22:07,160 Speaker 1: lot of women's activism in general that it's like against 342 00:22:07,240 --> 00:22:10,919 Speaker 1: your place as a woman, against nature. Yeah, well, speaking 343 00:22:10,920 --> 00:22:15,760 Speaker 1: of nature, I mean this strike happened for thirteen weeks 344 00:22:15,760 --> 00:22:17,880 Speaker 1: in the dead of winter. I mean, can you imagine 345 00:22:18,080 --> 00:22:22,720 Speaker 1: picketing in late November in New York? Answer? No, I cannot. 346 00:22:23,040 --> 00:22:26,639 Speaker 1: I live in this South for a reason. Um. But 347 00:22:26,720 --> 00:22:30,120 Speaker 1: it wasn't just the factory workers who were striking. This 348 00:22:30,240 --> 00:22:34,520 Speaker 1: was also the first time you see wealthier women joining 349 00:22:34,560 --> 00:22:38,440 Speaker 1: the picket lines because they would come out and sort 350 00:22:38,440 --> 00:22:44,359 Speaker 1: of protect the factory workers from police brutality, because the 351 00:22:44,400 --> 00:22:47,719 Speaker 1: police aren't gonna beat up, you know, a well connected, 352 00:22:48,040 --> 00:22:51,520 Speaker 1: wealthy woman from New Jersey, but they would have no 353 00:22:51,680 --> 00:22:55,879 Speaker 1: qualms beating up a female factory worker. And Kristen, is 354 00:22:55,960 --> 00:23:00,280 Speaker 1: this where we get them mink brigades? Yes, okay, So 355 00:23:00,280 --> 00:23:02,040 Speaker 1: so I want to hear about them. Okay, I'll tell 356 00:23:02,080 --> 00:23:05,000 Speaker 1: you about the mink brigades, which is my new favorite 357 00:23:05,119 --> 00:23:11,840 Speaker 1: feminist history phrase. So, these elite allies of these working 358 00:23:11,840 --> 00:23:14,199 Speaker 1: class folks who were going on strike became known as 359 00:23:14,280 --> 00:23:16,800 Speaker 1: the mink Brigades because they would come down and marching 360 00:23:16,840 --> 00:23:19,119 Speaker 1: the picket lines. With their minks on. A lot of 361 00:23:19,160 --> 00:23:23,920 Speaker 1: them were socialites from New Jersey and the woman who 362 00:23:24,000 --> 00:23:28,399 Speaker 1: kind of spearheaded their participation was a girl named Anna Morgan. 363 00:23:28,600 --> 00:23:31,879 Speaker 1: She was super duper rich and she had like a 364 00:23:31,880 --> 00:23:34,520 Speaker 1: twenty tho dollar a year stipend to live on, and 365 00:23:34,560 --> 00:23:36,000 Speaker 1: she just like hung out in New York and she 366 00:23:36,040 --> 00:23:39,480 Speaker 1: was like, Ladi Da, my life is really easy. Then 367 00:23:39,600 --> 00:23:44,200 Speaker 1: she strikes up a friendship and possible romantic relationship with 368 00:23:44,320 --> 00:23:48,480 Speaker 1: one Elizabeth Marbury, who at the time was in a 369 00:23:48,600 --> 00:23:52,600 Speaker 1: quote unquote Boston marriage to famed interior designer and star 370 00:23:52,720 --> 00:23:57,000 Speaker 1: of Our Women in Interior Design podcast, Elsie Dwolf. And 371 00:23:57,119 --> 00:24:01,560 Speaker 1: this pair was very connected. They were also very progressive, 372 00:24:02,480 --> 00:24:07,600 Speaker 1: and Marbury awakened Anna Morgan's social consciousness and she was like, 373 00:24:07,640 --> 00:24:12,280 Speaker 1: you know what, I have the means and resources to 374 00:24:12,800 --> 00:24:16,520 Speaker 1: do something to help these other women. So she organizes 375 00:24:17,160 --> 00:24:22,560 Speaker 1: these mink Brigades and they march alongside the Uprising of 376 00:24:22,600 --> 00:24:25,719 Speaker 1: twenty thousand UM. And the thing is, though, this is 377 00:24:25,880 --> 00:24:28,959 Speaker 1: really where you start to see a snapshot of class 378 00:24:29,000 --> 00:24:34,159 Speaker 1: divisions within the suffrage movement and early feminism, because the 379 00:24:34,240 --> 00:24:37,639 Speaker 1: wealthy women were not very radical, I mean even for 380 00:24:37,840 --> 00:24:44,760 Speaker 1: Europeans observing America at the time, suffragists were considered more conservative. Yeah, exactly, 381 00:24:44,800 --> 00:24:47,359 Speaker 1: I mean, especially if you compare them to suffragettes in 382 00:24:47,440 --> 00:24:52,880 Speaker 1: Britain who were way more intense. And these suffragists, though 383 00:24:52,920 --> 00:24:57,080 Speaker 1: the Mink Brigades, were not too fond of the striking 384 00:24:57,119 --> 00:25:02,440 Speaker 1: and the picketing. They really preferred to launch consumer boycotts 385 00:25:02,480 --> 00:25:05,840 Speaker 1: and advocate for fair labor standards I mean, which are 386 00:25:06,359 --> 00:25:08,560 Speaker 1: to me are things that you see echoed in second 387 00:25:08,560 --> 00:25:12,240 Speaker 1: way feminism as well. Um, So there was there was 388 00:25:12,280 --> 00:25:15,720 Speaker 1: some tension between these groups. And didn't those Mink Brigade 389 00:25:15,800 --> 00:25:18,960 Speaker 1: ladies sort of start to pull back once they realized 390 00:25:19,000 --> 00:25:21,439 Speaker 1: that they weren't having the same kind of sway in 391 00:25:21,480 --> 00:25:23,159 Speaker 1: the way that they wanted to with a lot of 392 00:25:23,160 --> 00:25:25,760 Speaker 1: these more radical women. Yeah, because the you know, these 393 00:25:25,760 --> 00:25:29,440 Speaker 1: working women, I mean, this was a group of largely 394 00:25:29,640 --> 00:25:32,720 Speaker 1: you know, politically marginalized immigrant women. It was like a 395 00:25:32,720 --> 00:25:36,840 Speaker 1: cross ethnic group, and they were so fed up. They 396 00:25:36,840 --> 00:25:39,760 Speaker 1: were just like everything is at stake for them, so 397 00:25:40,160 --> 00:25:42,919 Speaker 1: they didn't care about being more radical. So yeah, they 398 00:25:42,920 --> 00:25:46,000 Speaker 1: come together for a little bit, but then they would 399 00:25:46,080 --> 00:25:49,240 Speaker 1: end up splintering the more things change them, where they 400 00:25:49,280 --> 00:25:51,320 Speaker 1: stay the same in terms of those racial and class 401 00:25:51,320 --> 00:25:56,120 Speaker 1: divisions and feminism interesting to notice. Um. Well, so, going 402 00:25:56,200 --> 00:25:59,400 Speaker 1: back to that thirteen week strike, though the women were 403 00:25:59,400 --> 00:26:02,160 Speaker 1: eventually sick, sucessful in winning a fifty two hour work week, 404 00:26:02,240 --> 00:26:04,560 Speaker 1: which I mean, I guess that's better than an eighty 405 00:26:04,640 --> 00:26:08,400 Speaker 1: two hour work week. Uh. They won four paid holidays 406 00:26:09,040 --> 00:26:12,560 Speaker 1: and a better pay scale and union recognition. Now, the 407 00:26:12,680 --> 00:26:15,520 Speaker 1: sad news is that one year later, after all of 408 00:26:15,520 --> 00:26:22,240 Speaker 1: this happened, the infamous Triangle Shirtwaist fire happened, killing six people, 409 00:26:22,920 --> 00:26:25,560 Speaker 1: most of whom were women workers, and they could not 410 00:26:25,840 --> 00:26:29,760 Speaker 1: escape the factory because, like the doors were bolted shut 411 00:26:29,840 --> 00:26:33,400 Speaker 1: to ensure that the women wouldn't walk out and strike again. Um, 412 00:26:33,480 --> 00:26:36,400 Speaker 1: and Stephie missed in history class does have a whole 413 00:26:36,440 --> 00:26:39,800 Speaker 1: podcast on that. In the wake of this, though, the 414 00:26:39,840 --> 00:26:45,280 Speaker 1: families who you know, who's sisters, daughters, wives were killed 415 00:26:45,280 --> 00:26:50,480 Speaker 1: in the fire, they were compensated. Yeah, that's it. Yeah. 416 00:26:50,640 --> 00:26:54,080 Speaker 1: One employer was fined just twenty dollars for for their 417 00:26:54,200 --> 00:26:58,280 Speaker 1: role in the fatalities. So it really seems more like 418 00:26:58,480 --> 00:27:01,800 Speaker 1: it's the uprising of All's end and then followed by 419 00:27:01,920 --> 00:27:06,520 Speaker 1: the disaster at the Triangle Shirtwaist fire that inspires the 420 00:27:06,640 --> 00:27:11,760 Speaker 1: future international Women's Days, because meanwhile, in the Socialist Party, 421 00:27:11,800 --> 00:27:13,960 Speaker 1: let's hop back to socialists. I feel like we need 422 00:27:14,040 --> 00:27:16,679 Speaker 1: some like fancy transition music to go back to the 423 00:27:16,720 --> 00:27:21,720 Speaker 1: Socialist Party's our socialist transition music um. In nineteen ten, 424 00:27:21,960 --> 00:27:25,600 Speaker 1: at the Women's Conference of International Socialist Women in Copenhagen, 425 00:27:26,080 --> 00:27:29,959 Speaker 1: two ladies Rosa Luxembourg, which that's a fantastic name, by 426 00:27:29,960 --> 00:27:34,800 Speaker 1: the way, and Clara Zetkin suggests March eight should be 427 00:27:34,920 --> 00:27:39,080 Speaker 1: International Women's Day and they should call for universal suffrage. 428 00:27:39,400 --> 00:27:43,280 Speaker 1: And this was strategic on their part. Like Zekin had 429 00:27:44,280 --> 00:27:47,920 Speaker 1: a difficult relationship with feminists, she didn't really like them 430 00:27:47,920 --> 00:27:50,879 Speaker 1: all that much. But like a lot of the platforms 431 00:27:50,880 --> 00:27:54,480 Speaker 1: that she has spells like suffrage, we're kind of feminists. 432 00:27:54,480 --> 00:27:59,040 Speaker 1: But the tension between feminism and socialism was that socialism 433 00:27:59,040 --> 00:28:02,520 Speaker 1: at the time is more interested in uplifting like the 434 00:28:02,560 --> 00:28:08,280 Speaker 1: economic rights of largely working class men versus women's rights. Correct. 435 00:28:08,320 --> 00:28:10,400 Speaker 1: But also going back to the thing you said earlier 436 00:28:10,480 --> 00:28:15,440 Speaker 1: about the assumption that many of the feminists and suffrages 437 00:28:15,600 --> 00:28:17,800 Speaker 1: of the time, if they got the vote, would just 438 00:28:17,960 --> 00:28:20,480 Speaker 1: vote along conservative lines with their husbands. There was a 439 00:28:20,480 --> 00:28:23,119 Speaker 1: lot of fear around that too, and zet Can though 440 00:28:23,520 --> 00:28:26,399 Speaker 1: felt and they're they're one of the sources that we 441 00:28:26,440 --> 00:28:29,800 Speaker 1: read had a snapshot of this statement she and some 442 00:28:29,880 --> 00:28:33,439 Speaker 1: other socialists put out. She basically felt like with this 443 00:28:33,560 --> 00:28:35,680 Speaker 1: heavy sigh of like we've just we've got to show 444 00:28:35,680 --> 00:28:39,080 Speaker 1: them the way, like we I don't like them, I 445 00:28:39,080 --> 00:28:42,440 Speaker 1: don't like what they stand for, but women have to 446 00:28:42,520 --> 00:28:45,600 Speaker 1: come together and the Socialist women are the best women 447 00:28:45,600 --> 00:28:48,160 Speaker 1: to show them how to do it well. And there 448 00:28:48,280 --> 00:28:51,160 Speaker 1: was that angle of the strategy, but there was also 449 00:28:51,840 --> 00:28:55,040 Speaker 1: the sort of socialist propaganda angle where they were like, 450 00:28:55,080 --> 00:28:58,640 Speaker 1: the party also needs to demonstrate their care for women 451 00:28:58,920 --> 00:29:02,760 Speaker 1: and their interests in women, and so this International Women's 452 00:29:02,840 --> 00:29:05,560 Speaker 1: Day can do both of those things at the same time. 453 00:29:06,040 --> 00:29:10,160 Speaker 1: And on March nineteenth, nineteen eleven, International Women's Day was 454 00:29:10,200 --> 00:29:15,840 Speaker 1: celebrated in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland, and they protested 455 00:29:15,840 --> 00:29:19,880 Speaker 1: for voting rights, workers rights rights, the whole public office. 456 00:29:20,000 --> 00:29:23,360 Speaker 1: I mean, they were they were out in mass And 457 00:29:23,480 --> 00:29:28,320 Speaker 1: it's also this year though, that Socialist women in Boston 458 00:29:28,360 --> 00:29:31,200 Speaker 1: I believe said that they would march with suffragists to 459 00:29:31,520 --> 00:29:34,280 Speaker 1: the local suffrage hearings. It was time, you know, to 460 00:29:34,360 --> 00:29:38,480 Speaker 1: band together and really show support. But a journalist covering 461 00:29:38,520 --> 00:29:42,400 Speaker 1: the event noted that they were actually way more socialists 462 00:29:42,920 --> 00:29:47,200 Speaker 1: than there were suffragists, and noted something along the lines 463 00:29:47,240 --> 00:29:50,480 Speaker 1: of like, oh, maybe maybe the socialists are actually way 464 00:29:50,520 --> 00:29:57,920 Speaker 1: more passionate about this than the suffragists are. Representation matters, ladies. Well, 465 00:29:57,960 --> 00:30:00,920 Speaker 1: if we hop forward though to nineteen seventeen and traveled 466 00:30:00,960 --> 00:30:04,640 Speaker 1: back to Russia, where a podcast began, this is pretty incredible. 467 00:30:05,120 --> 00:30:09,360 Speaker 1: Russian women that year observed International Women's Day for the 468 00:30:09,400 --> 00:30:14,320 Speaker 1: first time, and it ended up instigating the Russian Revolution 469 00:30:14,600 --> 00:30:18,080 Speaker 1: and Zar Nicholas abdicating. Yeah, okay, and this is where 470 00:30:18,080 --> 00:30:19,840 Speaker 1: we get to what Kris and I have been hinting 471 00:30:19,880 --> 00:30:23,760 Speaker 1: at for a minute now, for like thirty minutes, for 472 00:30:23,880 --> 00:30:26,440 Speaker 1: thirty minutes now, I know we've constantly been hinting at this. 473 00:30:26,920 --> 00:30:31,400 Speaker 1: So scholar Ti mccaplan wrote the paper on the Socialist 474 00:30:31,440 --> 00:30:36,520 Speaker 1: Origins of International Women's Day, and she reveals how those 475 00:30:36,600 --> 00:30:43,280 Speaker 1: eighteen fifty seven and nineteen o eight strikes likely never happened. Yeah, 476 00:30:43,320 --> 00:30:47,880 Speaker 1: and likelier still, they were a convenient story to steer 477 00:30:47,920 --> 00:30:52,880 Speaker 1: attention away from the holidays socialist and communist roots. Yeah, 478 00:30:52,880 --> 00:30:57,240 Speaker 1: I mean because Clara Zetkin, for instance, was close pals 479 00:30:57,440 --> 00:31:02,200 Speaker 1: with Lennon, who later declined aired International Women's Day a 480 00:31:02,280 --> 00:31:06,040 Speaker 1: national holiday in Russia. And International Women's Day was really 481 00:31:06,080 --> 00:31:09,960 Speaker 1: a Communist holiday until a late nineteen sixties, so you 482 00:31:09,960 --> 00:31:14,480 Speaker 1: haven't celebrated by communist China, obviously in Russia all the 483 00:31:14,480 --> 00:31:20,240 Speaker 1: other communist countries at the time. So in nineteen when 484 00:31:20,360 --> 00:31:25,320 Speaker 1: the u N declares the Year of the Woman, we 485 00:31:25,440 --> 00:31:30,640 Speaker 1: still have some of that Cold War anks. So International 486 00:31:30,680 --> 00:31:34,959 Speaker 1: Women's Day gets a bit of an historical makeover. And 487 00:31:35,040 --> 00:31:38,720 Speaker 1: I don't know that there was someone at the u 488 00:31:38,800 --> 00:31:41,600 Speaker 1: N or wherever being like, okay to make up a 489 00:31:41,640 --> 00:31:45,200 Speaker 1: strike eighteen fifty seven, Yeah, that sounds good. Um, But 490 00:31:45,880 --> 00:31:53,000 Speaker 1: and Timacaplan wasn't able to cite exactly when and how 491 00:31:53,920 --> 00:31:57,320 Speaker 1: the myth of those two strikes arose, because I don't know. 492 00:31:57,360 --> 00:32:00,120 Speaker 1: I mean, it almost seems like pointless mythology, because as 493 00:32:00,120 --> 00:32:02,880 Speaker 1: you have all of these other actual strikes that were 494 00:32:02,920 --> 00:32:05,400 Speaker 1: happening at the time that could have easily been linked 495 00:32:05,400 --> 00:32:08,560 Speaker 1: to it. Was it the degree of it all, the 496 00:32:08,600 --> 00:32:12,040 Speaker 1: fact that in those alleged strikes early on, there was 497 00:32:12,080 --> 00:32:16,920 Speaker 1: supposedly so many women participating in such police brutality. Like, 498 00:32:16,920 --> 00:32:19,040 Speaker 1: oh my god, look at your sisters. They were, you know, 499 00:32:19,160 --> 00:32:21,320 Speaker 1: beaten by the police. Yeah, I mean, I think the 500 00:32:21,360 --> 00:32:24,720 Speaker 1: police brutality angle of it was definitely a big one. 501 00:32:24,920 --> 00:32:30,120 Speaker 1: And our research for this podcast corroborates Kaplan's claim that 502 00:32:30,200 --> 00:32:34,240 Speaker 1: the strikes were made up, because before we ran across 503 00:32:34,240 --> 00:32:37,920 Speaker 1: her paper, I was getting so frustrated searching and searching 504 00:32:37,960 --> 00:32:42,400 Speaker 1: for information, especially on that eighteen fifty seven strike. And 505 00:32:42,440 --> 00:32:47,680 Speaker 1: if you look up seven Women's Strike, New York City, 506 00:32:48,440 --> 00:32:54,160 Speaker 1: all you'll find our articles and timelines of International Women's Day. Interesting, 507 00:32:54,240 --> 00:32:58,959 Speaker 1: there's no actual like, there's not any historic articles on 508 00:32:59,000 --> 00:33:01,280 Speaker 1: the strike, in the same way as you find so 509 00:33:01,440 --> 00:33:04,920 Speaker 1: much information on the you know, the Little Girls Uprising 510 00:33:04,920 --> 00:33:07,760 Speaker 1: of two thousand, twenty thousand, excuse me, and the whole 511 00:33:07,800 --> 00:33:11,200 Speaker 1: Slater Mill incident. Yeah, because if there are articles from 512 00:33:11,240 --> 00:33:16,800 Speaker 1: Boston journalists in nineteen eleven covering a in in uh 513 00:33:16,960 --> 00:33:20,200 Speaker 1: comparison with the supposed eighteen fifty seven strike, covering a 514 00:33:20,240 --> 00:33:24,640 Speaker 1: relatively small group of suffragists and socialists, if they're covering that, 515 00:33:25,160 --> 00:33:28,120 Speaker 1: they sure as heck, about sixty years prior would have 516 00:33:28,160 --> 00:33:32,760 Speaker 1: covered a giant, massive strike of women who were then 517 00:33:32,800 --> 00:33:35,440 Speaker 1: beat up by police. Yeah, I mean, and we did 518 00:33:35,480 --> 00:33:38,600 Speaker 1: not do like an in depth Lexus nexus search, so 519 00:33:38,800 --> 00:33:41,760 Speaker 1: who knows there could be something buried there. I would 520 00:33:41,760 --> 00:33:46,280 Speaker 1: still like further academic confirmation that this was the case. 521 00:33:46,360 --> 00:33:49,840 Speaker 1: So listeners, if you have any intel, please let us know, 522 00:33:50,080 --> 00:33:55,719 Speaker 1: because all evidence points to those two strikes being made up, 523 00:33:55,760 --> 00:34:00,280 Speaker 1: like the history of International Women's Day is apocryphal, to 524 00:34:00,520 --> 00:34:04,680 Speaker 1: make it more palatable for the United States and other 525 00:34:04,720 --> 00:34:09,600 Speaker 1: countries to celebrate what is essentially a socialist and communist holiday, 526 00:34:09,880 --> 00:34:13,200 Speaker 1: had the socialist ladies leading the way, and now I mean, 527 00:34:13,239 --> 00:34:16,239 Speaker 1: now it's celebrated. International Women's stays celebrated in more than 528 00:34:16,239 --> 00:34:19,520 Speaker 1: a hundred countries, So I mean that's fabulous. And the 529 00:34:19,560 --> 00:34:23,160 Speaker 1: thing is finding out that those strikes might not have 530 00:34:23,239 --> 00:34:27,560 Speaker 1: happened is certainly not a reason to not celebrate. If anything, 531 00:34:27,680 --> 00:34:31,080 Speaker 1: I think we should celebrate it even more in recognition 532 00:34:31,160 --> 00:34:34,160 Speaker 1: of this history that we just talked about um and 533 00:34:34,239 --> 00:34:38,400 Speaker 1: especially how it's often erased from labor history at large, 534 00:34:38,840 --> 00:34:42,880 Speaker 1: and also too to celebrate the successes achieved by the 535 00:34:43,000 --> 00:34:45,879 Speaker 1: nineteen twenties. I mean, all the striking that women were 536 00:34:45,920 --> 00:34:49,880 Speaker 1: doing might not have made massive impacts in that moment, 537 00:34:50,160 --> 00:34:55,759 Speaker 1: but incrementally they were building up to some pretty major reforms. Yeah. 538 00:34:55,880 --> 00:34:58,560 Speaker 1: So by the nineteen twenties, you had a bunch of 539 00:34:58,560 --> 00:35:02,200 Speaker 1: state laws that were regulated hours and wages and working 540 00:35:02,200 --> 00:35:06,279 Speaker 1: conditions for female employees. Uh. They secured union contracts and 541 00:35:06,360 --> 00:35:10,040 Speaker 1: grievance procedures and a lot of factories and workshops, and 542 00:35:10,200 --> 00:35:13,360 Speaker 1: all of the striking and agitating really paved the way 543 00:35:13,400 --> 00:35:16,200 Speaker 1: for the Fair Labor Standards Act of the New Deal. Yeah, 544 00:35:16,239 --> 00:35:19,120 Speaker 1: I mean, and these are the kinds of employment standards 545 00:35:19,160 --> 00:35:22,120 Speaker 1: that all of us benefit from, you know, not just 546 00:35:22,320 --> 00:35:27,000 Speaker 1: female employees. And for one final historical note, when FDR 547 00:35:27,120 --> 00:35:32,040 Speaker 1: came to office, he appointed Francis Perkins, the first female 548 00:35:32,160 --> 00:35:36,200 Speaker 1: labor secretary, who had been heavily involved with all of 549 00:35:36,239 --> 00:35:39,799 Speaker 1: that kind of labor feminism and the factory strikes in 550 00:35:39,960 --> 00:35:43,319 Speaker 1: organizing and was sort of enmeshed in that world. So 551 00:35:45,040 --> 00:35:47,400 Speaker 1: we probably need to circle back and talk more about 552 00:35:47,480 --> 00:35:51,440 Speaker 1: Francis Perkins at some time. Totally, But it was so 553 00:35:51,520 --> 00:35:55,200 Speaker 1: unexpected for me, at least to connect those dots between 554 00:35:55,880 --> 00:36:00,279 Speaker 1: this holiday going back to you know, these textile old 555 00:36:00,280 --> 00:36:02,880 Speaker 1: towns that were popping up in the deplorable conditions and 556 00:36:02,920 --> 00:36:06,920 Speaker 1: women immediately being like, uh, no, I don't think so. 557 00:36:07,000 --> 00:36:10,040 Speaker 1: And then all all the way to historic appointments like 558 00:36:10,080 --> 00:36:14,279 Speaker 1: Francis Perkins, and I mean, just I keep going back 559 00:36:14,320 --> 00:36:17,719 Speaker 1: to the class differences in in how in how these 560 00:36:17,719 --> 00:36:22,359 Speaker 1: battles were waged and what women felt that they had 561 00:36:22,400 --> 00:36:24,920 Speaker 1: to do or could do. It's so different when you 562 00:36:24,960 --> 00:36:27,400 Speaker 1: look at the women who were actually in the factories 563 00:36:27,440 --> 00:36:31,760 Speaker 1: working versus the mink brigades that came down and stood 564 00:36:31,760 --> 00:36:33,960 Speaker 1: with them to an extent. Yeah, I mean, because you 565 00:36:33,960 --> 00:36:37,359 Speaker 1: would think that the mink brigades could wield so much 566 00:36:37,400 --> 00:36:40,920 Speaker 1: more power to make things happen, but they seemed a 567 00:36:40,920 --> 00:36:44,520 Speaker 1: lot more reserved and conservative and nervous. Well, you could 568 00:36:44,640 --> 00:36:47,640 Speaker 1: argue that, for instance, a woman who's raking in twenty 569 00:36:47,719 --> 00:36:51,920 Speaker 1: K year at that time, I mean, she's kind of 570 00:36:52,080 --> 00:36:56,520 Speaker 1: part of the however radical she might have become befriending 571 00:36:56,560 --> 00:36:59,799 Speaker 1: those women, Uh, she's kind of part of the establishment. 572 00:37:00,320 --> 00:37:02,239 Speaker 1: So like, if you're raking in that much money a year, 573 00:37:02,400 --> 00:37:05,880 Speaker 1: you kind of do have a steak in the status 574 00:37:05,960 --> 00:37:08,200 Speaker 1: quo to an extent. Yeah, I mean, and that was 575 00:37:08,239 --> 00:37:12,480 Speaker 1: just her allowance, you know, alright, still drop in the bucket. 576 00:37:13,000 --> 00:37:18,359 Speaker 1: So listeners, um, Happy International Women's Day, whether you're listening 577 00:37:18,400 --> 00:37:21,080 Speaker 1: to this on March eighth or not. Um, we hope 578 00:37:21,120 --> 00:37:22,960 Speaker 1: that you all had as much fun listening to this 579 00:37:23,040 --> 00:37:25,520 Speaker 1: history as we did learning about it and talking about it. 580 00:37:25,840 --> 00:37:30,839 Speaker 1: And yeah, if anyone has more information to give us, 581 00:37:31,239 --> 00:37:33,879 Speaker 1: please let us know. Mom said at house Stuff Works 582 00:37:33,880 --> 00:37:36,240 Speaker 1: dot com is our email address. You can also tweet 583 00:37:36,320 --> 00:37:39,319 Speaker 1: us at mom Stuff podcast or messages on Facebook. And 584 00:37:39,360 --> 00:37:41,520 Speaker 1: we've got a couple of messages to share with you 585 00:37:42,080 --> 00:37:47,800 Speaker 1: right now. All right, so we have a couple of 586 00:37:47,880 --> 00:37:51,880 Speaker 1: letters on babysitting for you. This one's from David. He says, 587 00:37:51,880 --> 00:37:54,120 Speaker 1: great to finally be writing you. I enjoyed your episode 588 00:37:54,120 --> 00:37:56,920 Speaker 1: on babysitting, but don't think you emphasized enough the role 589 00:37:56,960 --> 00:38:00,319 Speaker 1: that Latina women play in babysitting white children in a Erica. 590 00:38:00,880 --> 00:38:04,279 Speaker 1: Being a first generation Mexican American in southern California, I 591 00:38:04,280 --> 00:38:06,080 Speaker 1: had a mother who left my sister and me with 592 00:38:06,120 --> 00:38:07,960 Speaker 1: an elder cousin of ours while she worked as a 593 00:38:07,960 --> 00:38:12,120 Speaker 1: babysitter for several upper middle class white families. The Freakin 594 00:38:12,200 --> 00:38:15,160 Speaker 1: based babysitting you mentioned in your podcast was essential to this. 595 00:38:15,719 --> 00:38:17,640 Speaker 1: My cousin could take care of us during the day 596 00:38:17,680 --> 00:38:19,960 Speaker 1: and learn English and job training at night school to 597 00:38:20,000 --> 00:38:23,000 Speaker 1: increase her job prospects back in Mexico. This gave the 598 00:38:23,000 --> 00:38:25,319 Speaker 1: opportunity from my mother to leave the home and gain 599 00:38:25,400 --> 00:38:28,239 Speaker 1: economic autonomy by taking advantage of the high demand of 600 00:38:28,320 --> 00:38:32,360 Speaker 1: childcare and more affluent communities, But the disparities still remained 601 00:38:32,400 --> 00:38:35,600 Speaker 1: in this dynamic. Parental care needed by all children was 602 00:38:35,640 --> 00:38:38,960 Speaker 1: concentrated in white communities due to their economic ability to 603 00:38:39,000 --> 00:38:42,360 Speaker 1: afford experienced help, and could only occur with the assistance 604 00:38:42,360 --> 00:38:45,520 Speaker 1: of Latin women and the familial networks they had. This 605 00:38:45,600 --> 00:38:49,239 Speaker 1: dynamic leaves many underprivileged Latin children without a quality care 606 00:38:49,280 --> 00:38:52,880 Speaker 1: system that perpetuates economic mobility in the future because of 607 00:38:52,880 --> 00:38:56,319 Speaker 1: the insufficient development of language skills and varied interactions we 608 00:38:56,360 --> 00:39:00,480 Speaker 1: received relative to foreign babies at white children. This podcast 609 00:39:00,480 --> 00:39:03,040 Speaker 1: episode was especially interesting to me because, as a student 610 00:39:03,040 --> 00:39:05,759 Speaker 1: at u c l A, our campuses neighbors are rich, 611 00:39:05,800 --> 00:39:09,000 Speaker 1: celebrities and people living Beverly Hills and bel Air. I 612 00:39:09,080 --> 00:39:11,680 Speaker 1: recently used this as the base of a satirical Craigslist 613 00:39:11,760 --> 00:39:14,959 Speaker 1: ad titled Mexican Mail to Babysit Your White Children, where 614 00:39:14,960 --> 00:39:17,520 Speaker 1: I essentially pressured and mocked my regional audience into hiring 615 00:39:17,520 --> 00:39:20,000 Speaker 1: myself a nineen year old Mexican male as an active 616 00:39:20,120 --> 00:39:25,799 Speaker 1: liberal social pride, I use lines like I have no 617 00:39:25,880 --> 00:39:29,480 Speaker 1: experience with childcare, will check off any diversity requirement you 618 00:39:29,520 --> 00:39:31,759 Speaker 1: may have logged in your postmodern psyche with a felt pen. 619 00:39:32,120 --> 00:39:33,960 Speaker 1: If requested, I could bring a picture book of the 620 00:39:34,000 --> 00:39:36,680 Speaker 1: true history of the Mexican American War, and I will 621 00:39:36,719 --> 00:39:39,320 Speaker 1: work for cheap, specifically eighty six point one since on 622 00:39:39,360 --> 00:39:41,279 Speaker 1: the dollar of a white female according to the Bereau 623 00:39:41,280 --> 00:39:45,480 Speaker 1: of Labor statistics. Funny enough, several people responded to my 624 00:39:45,560 --> 00:39:49,600 Speaker 1: advertisement wanting to legitimately hire me. I was tempted to 625 00:39:49,600 --> 00:39:51,640 Speaker 1: take a position as a sitter, but as a male, 626 00:39:51,680 --> 00:39:53,719 Speaker 1: which I do not think you touched on this podcast, 627 00:39:53,760 --> 00:39:56,680 Speaker 1: I was fearful of any lititious risk associated with the 628 00:39:56,719 --> 00:39:59,520 Speaker 1: perception of being a male babysitter. Anyways, thank you so 629 00:39:59,600 --> 00:40:02,120 Speaker 1: much for this podcast. I started listening at the age 630 00:40:02,120 --> 00:40:06,120 Speaker 1: of thirteen and really feel that I've grown up with it. 631 00:40:06,239 --> 00:40:09,560 Speaker 1: Learning the difficulties of the female experience, learning every week 632 00:40:09,600 --> 00:40:13,360 Speaker 1: the specifics of cultural, institutional, and historical suppression of women's 633 00:40:13,360 --> 00:40:16,520 Speaker 1: influence and autonomy, and getting the opportunity to hear the 634 00:40:16,560 --> 00:40:20,120 Speaker 1: stories behind so many great women overlooked by many history books. 635 00:40:20,360 --> 00:40:25,120 Speaker 1: Really amazing work. David. Oh, David, we need we need 636 00:40:25,160 --> 00:40:28,120 Speaker 1: a button or something to send him. Davia, this is 637 00:40:28,160 --> 00:40:29,920 Speaker 1: a great letter. A. I love your sense of humor, 638 00:40:30,120 --> 00:40:32,759 Speaker 1: like keep rocking that, but be like, thank you so 639 00:40:32,840 --> 00:40:36,840 Speaker 1: much for sharing your story. I what is so important 640 00:40:36,920 --> 00:40:39,000 Speaker 1: to to Christian and me is to be able to 641 00:40:39,080 --> 00:40:43,479 Speaker 1: present these larger topics and then be able to hear 642 00:40:44,200 --> 00:40:46,880 Speaker 1: the personal stories from you guys about how these topics 643 00:40:46,920 --> 00:40:50,080 Speaker 1: are actually affecting your lives. So we really appreciate your letter. Well, 644 00:40:50,120 --> 00:40:55,600 Speaker 1: I have another fantastic babysitting email from Erica. She writes, 645 00:40:55,680 --> 00:40:58,360 Speaker 1: I thought i'd share a bit about my grandma's experience 646 00:40:58,360 --> 00:41:00,560 Speaker 1: in the mid to late fifties. She lived in a 647 00:41:00,600 --> 00:41:03,880 Speaker 1: super super small town in Wisconsin. She's told me that 648 00:41:03,920 --> 00:41:07,000 Speaker 1: instead of sending invitations, a couple getting married would just 649 00:41:07,080 --> 00:41:09,799 Speaker 1: post an ad in the town newspaper, which is why 650 00:41:09,880 --> 00:41:13,680 Speaker 1: she married my grandpa in Florida. So she lived in 651 00:41:13,719 --> 00:41:15,560 Speaker 1: this tiny town when she was a teenager, and I 652 00:41:15,600 --> 00:41:18,360 Speaker 1: doubt she was part of a babysitting union, which is 653 00:41:18,400 --> 00:41:20,759 Speaker 1: probably why she only made twenty five cents an hour 654 00:41:20,800 --> 00:41:22,799 Speaker 1: and had to work for very long periods of time. 655 00:41:23,239 --> 00:41:25,920 Speaker 1: She didn't have a very good experience babysitting, but luckily 656 00:41:26,040 --> 00:41:28,160 Speaker 1: for her, she was out of there and married in 657 00:41:28,200 --> 00:41:31,440 Speaker 1: Florida by the time she was nineteen. My experience with 658 00:41:31,520 --> 00:41:34,799 Speaker 1: babysitting was luckily different. I worked for some very nice 659 00:41:34,840 --> 00:41:37,319 Speaker 1: families who paid me what they wanted. I never said 660 00:41:37,320 --> 00:41:39,800 Speaker 1: a fear anything, which, to be honest, probably meant I 661 00:41:39,840 --> 00:41:42,000 Speaker 1: earned more than I would had if I had said 662 00:41:42,040 --> 00:41:45,360 Speaker 1: a fee. I missed babysitting and sometimes wonder if twenty 663 00:41:45,360 --> 00:41:47,360 Speaker 1: one would be too old to do it again, or 664 00:41:47,400 --> 00:41:50,440 Speaker 1: if anyone would even think of a young adult instead 665 00:41:50,440 --> 00:41:54,280 Speaker 1: of a teenager. Any thoughts. Thanks for your awesome podcasts 666 00:41:54,400 --> 00:41:57,160 Speaker 1: or the highlight of my week, Erica. I know someone 667 00:41:57,160 --> 00:42:01,120 Speaker 1: who regularly babysits who is in her early thirties. One 668 00:42:01,160 --> 00:42:03,840 Speaker 1: is by no means too old a babysit, and I 669 00:42:03,880 --> 00:42:08,640 Speaker 1: would imagine that people would prefer an older person coming 670 00:42:08,680 --> 00:42:11,319 Speaker 1: over to take care of their kids versus a team. 671 00:42:11,320 --> 00:42:14,879 Speaker 1: So those are my two pennies and send us your 672 00:42:14,960 --> 00:42:17,439 Speaker 1: two pennies. Mom Stuff at how stuff works dot com 673 00:42:17,480 --> 00:42:19,279 Speaker 1: is our email address and for links to all of 674 00:42:19,320 --> 00:42:21,960 Speaker 1: our social media as well as all of our blogs, videos, 675 00:42:22,000 --> 00:42:25,359 Speaker 1: and podcasts with our sources. So you can learn more 676 00:42:25,360 --> 00:42:29,440 Speaker 1: about the conspiratorial history of International Women's Day, head on 677 00:42:29,520 --> 00:42:36,600 Speaker 1: over to stuff Mom Never told You dot com or 678 00:42:36,680 --> 00:42:39,160 Speaker 1: more on this and thousands of other topics. Isn't how 679 00:42:39,200 --> 00:42:48,000 Speaker 1: stuff Works dot com.