First Strike Fest 2023
Earlier today — May 13, 2023, from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. — the National Park Service (NPS) collaborated with an expansive range of local organizations to host the second annual First Strike Fest at Old Slater Mill in Pawtucket, RI, part of Blackstone River Valley National Historic Park (BRNHP). Free and open to the public, this festival allowed visitors to experience historic tours and lectures led by park rangers in collaboration with Old Slater Mill Association, listen to live performances from local musicians, learn about archeology and anthropology from experts, watch an artist create a plein air watercolor painting, and many more fun and educational activities!
The first strike in the United States began on May 26, 1824, just under hundred and ninety-nine years ago. Women working at factories in Pawtucket walked out of work after facing a drastic wage cut and increased work day. The strike lasted until June 3, when strikers reached a settlement with the mill owners and returned to work. Since then, thousands of American workers have participated in labor strikes.
At the festival, this strike was represented through pop up dance performances by Metamorphosis Dance Co. This group recently collaborated with park rangers from NPS along with filmographer David Lawlor of Run of the Mill, who I first saw at the Blackstone Valley Mill Explorations held at Whitin Mill in Whitinsville, MA last December. Together, they create a historical dance video “The First Strike”, now available on the Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park YouTube channel.
The Rhode Island Spinning Guild arrived with a wide variety of spindles to demonstrate the pre-industrial art of spinning wool or flax into thread. Local cartoonist MJ Robinson, who designed a colorable poster commemorating the First Strike and a Junior Ranger booklet for BRVNHP, greeted artists of all ages under a craft tent. Watercolor artist Jerry Assis of Blackstone Valley Plein Air painters illustrated the church and lawn across the river. Another talented creator was Rhode Island Lego Artist Andrew Grover who designed a model of what Slater Mill looked like when first constructed. Complete with moving machinery and realistic clatter, the Lego model will live at Slater Mill from now on.
History professionals from Everyday Anthropology and The Public Archaeology Lab, Inc. demonstrated how the materials left behind by people in the past can aid modern historians in figuring out what their lives were like. Anthropologist Joseph LyonWurm used part of his cast iron pan collection to demonstrate changes in manufacturing from the early 19th century to the present. At the front of the mill, Old Slater Mill Association displayed reproduction photographs from early Pawtucket and gave away bobbins that had been used in the mill.
The all-women performance troupe Mystic Garland Dancers presented English Morris dance while wearing traditional costumes. One style of dance, Northwest Clog, bore a strong resemblance to the clog dancing that I remember from Dutch Village in Holland, MI. As described by the dancers during the festival and written on the Mystic Garland Dancers website, “Northwest Clog Morris developed in the textile mill area near Manchester, England, soon after the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century. Workers wore wooden clogs in the mills to keep their feet up off the damp floors.”
Overall, this was the perfect day to hold a festival. The weather was warm and sunny, allowing many people to appreciate the entertainment and education. I am excited to see what happens during next year’s festival celebrating the true 200th anniversary of the First Strike in the United States.