Final answer:
Women in a town like Cincinnati frequently engaged in piecework at home, involving finishing clothing items sent by manufacturers. They played a crucial role in textile and clothing production during the Industrial Revolution, offering an alternative to domestic service despite low pay and potential exploitation.
Step-by-step explanation:
Women in a western town such as Cincinnati often engaged in piecework from their homes. This work, distributed by clothing manufacturers, involved the finishing work on garments, which was a prevalent form of employment for many women during this period. They performed essential tasks in the textile and clothing manufacturing process that were outsourced by factories.
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the number of women entering the workforce began to increase significantly. Many women found themselves employed in textile factories, reflecting a shift in the labor force demographics and the economic demand for mass-produced clothing. The factory system, which characterized the Industrial Revolution, broke down work processes and outsourced some parts of production, like sewing and finishing clothing items, to women working from home.
This system offered some autonomy to women and was advantageous compared to domestic service positions. However, pieceworkers often faced low pay, inconsistent work, and the exploitation of their labor. The shift to factory work and piecework at home represented a significant change in the role of women in the workforce during the industrial era.