In The Oppressing Hand of Avarice Would Enslave Us, Thomas Dublin says that the life and sense of community of the women mill operatives was crucial for their ability to protest wage cuts and long work days. This sense of community among the women was nurtured by the structure of mill life. The women lived and worked together in close conditions. They trained newcomers and covered for one another, when necessary. This cohesion amongst them provided the basis and the strength for their protests. It was helped by their sense of freedom as “freemen's daughters.” The community was the most important factor for determining the response to the harsher co