The Lawrence Textile Strike was a public protest in particular of immigrant workers from several countries. Caused by a wage cut, the walkout spread quickly from the mill to mill across the city. Strikers defied the assumptions of conservative trade unions in the American Federation of Labor that immigrant, mostly female and ethnically diverse workers could not organized.
James Oppenheim claimed his seeing women strikers in Lawrence carrying a banner proclaiming “We Want Bread and Roses Too” inspired the poem, “Bread and Roses.” The poem, however, was written and published in 1911 before the strike. Later the poem was set to music by Caroline Kohlsaat and then by Mimi Farina. The song and slogan are important parts of the labor movement
James Oppenheim claimed his seeing women strikers in Lawrence carrying a banner proclaiming “We Want Bread and Roses Too” inspired the poem, “Bread and Roses.” The poem, however, was written and published in 1911 before the strike. Later the poem was set to music by Caroline Kohlsaat and then by Mimi Farina. The song and slogan are important parts of the labor movement