DBQ
An Essay on
Female Mill Workers in England and Japan:
How Similar Were Their Experiences?

AP World History

The industrial revolution was a major period in history; especially for the manual laborer. One segment of the worker population were the women in the textile industry, specifically in England and Japan. Female workers in England and Japan shared similar experiences in the work place. The informational visuals and documents that detail age/gender statistics, economic concerns, and working conditions all contain occupational comparisons yet regional differences. Document 1 is a map of both countries and their physical locations on earth. Both are island nations and are surrounded by water. Because of their geography both were very independent. Document 2 illustrates a lithograph and a photograph from English and Japanese factories. The manufacture of textiles was critical in both civilizations. The lithograph of workers in England displays power loom mills while Japan’s photograph presents women who are working in a silk-reeling factory. An additional document that would help expand the understanding of Japan and England’s background would be a more advanced point of view on regional advantages and disadvantages to inform the differences in both countries work ethic. In both countries the manufacture of textiles was critical in their rise to power. Documents 3 and 4 portray the age/gender comparisons between not only Japan and England, but as well as the percentages of female and male worker populations. In both nations, the total amount of female workers surpassed the number of men, and the ages ranged from under 16 to over 20. Document 3 details the gender and age totals of silk factory workers. In the English towns of Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex, the percent of female workers totals 96%, and of that, 53% are females under 16 years of age.