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There was enormous difference. For one thing, workers in company towns were free to quit and move somewhere else, while medieval peasants could not.
by xyzzyz 5y ago
There was enormous difference. For one thing, workers in company towns were free to quit and move somewhere else, while medieval peasants could not.
- Sharlin 5y agoIn theory, anyway. Being legally permitted to do something is a really low bar to clear. Even now, in the era of cheap transportation and free real-time information to base your decisions on, for the majority of working-class families the idea of packing up and trying again somewhere else is less than feasible. In the 1800s? Not a fscking chance, even if your employee was gracious enough to pay you with hard currency rather than Monopoly (heh) money. No cars. Trains were expensive and only an option in some places. No Internet, TV, or even radio. No formal education to speak of. Wages at subsistence levels, because why would they pay you a penny more?
- xyzzyz 5y agoIn 1800s, people packed up on oxen wagons, and crossed the continent on undeveloped trails. If you look at the actual statistics, in early 1900, people used to move around the country more, not less than today.