Daughters of St. Crispin
Encyclopedia
The Daughters of St. Crispin was an American
labor union of women shoemakers, and the first national women's labor union in the United States
.
The union began with a strike
of over a thousand female workers in 1860 in Massachusetts
. By the end of 1869, it had a total of 24 local lodges
across the United States, the largest of which had over 400 members. Conventions of all the lodges were held annually in Massachusetts until 1872.
The name "Daughters of St. Crispin" was inspired by the contemporary men's union of shoemakers, the Order of the Knights of St. Crispin. Saint Crispin is the patron saint of cobblers, tanners, and leather workers.
In 1870, a convention of the Daughters of St. Crispin unanimously adopted a resolution which demanded equal pay for doing the same work as men. In 1872, they staged a successful strike for higher wages in Massachusetts.
Though the national organization began to decline as early as 1873 as a result of the Long Depression
, local chapters in Massachusetts remained active, and many individual members eventually joined the Knights of Labor
which formed in 1869.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
labor union of women shoemakers, and the first national women's labor union in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
The union began with a strike
Strike
Strike may refer to:-Refusal to work or perform:* Strike action, also known as a walkout, a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to perform work...
of over a thousand female workers in 1860 in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. By the end of 1869, it had a total of 24 local lodges
Local union
A local union, often shortened to local, in North America, or a union branch in the United Kingdom and other countries is a locally-based trade union organization which forms part of a larger, usually national, union.Local branches are organized to represent the union's members from a particular...
across the United States, the largest of which had over 400 members. Conventions of all the lodges were held annually in Massachusetts until 1872.
The name "Daughters of St. Crispin" was inspired by the contemporary men's union of shoemakers, the Order of the Knights of St. Crispin. Saint Crispin is the patron saint of cobblers, tanners, and leather workers.
In 1870, a convention of the Daughters of St. Crispin unanimously adopted a resolution which demanded equal pay for doing the same work as men. In 1872, they staged a successful strike for higher wages in Massachusetts.
Though the national organization began to decline as early as 1873 as a result of the Long Depression
Long Depression
The Long Depression was a worldwide economic crisis, felt most heavily in Europe and the United States, which had been experiencing strong economic growth fueled by the Second Industrial Revolution in the decade following the American Civil War. At the time, the episode was labeled the Great...
, local chapters in Massachusetts remained active, and many individual members eventually joined the Knights of Labor
Knights of Labor
The Knights of Labor was the largest and one of the most important American labor organizations of the 1880s. Its most important leader was Terence Powderly...
which formed in 1869.