MikeDunnAuthor<p>Today in Labor History May 14, 1771: Utopian-socialist Robert Owen was born on this day in Wales. In the early 1800s, he made a fortune in textiles. However, he tried to run his mills on higher principles than greed. One of his reforms was to offer prices at his company store that were only slightly higher than their wholesale cost. This was in marked contrast to his competitors, who paid their workers only in scrip and charged exorbitant prices at their company stores. In 1810, Owen implemented the eight-hour workday for his employees. And in 1817, he came up with the slogan, “Eight hours labor, eight hours recreation, eight hours rest.” He also provided free schools for the children of factory workers.</p><p>In 1824, he travelled to America and invested his fortune in an experimental socialistic commune at New Harmony, Indiana. It only survived for two years. However, it changed many aspects of American culture. Residents created the first public library and public school system open to both boys and girls. The town also became an important center of scientific research in the mid-1800s.</p><p><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/workingclass" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>workingclass</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/LaborHistory" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>LaborHistory</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/socialism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>socialism</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/utopia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>utopia</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/EightHourDay" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>EightHourDay</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/library" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>library</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/robertowen" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>robertowen</span></a></p>