July 3, 1835 - Children employed in the silk mills in Paterson, New Jersey, went on strike for the 11-hour day, six-day week. The first textile workers in the United States were all children, hired specifically by the mill owners because of their quick reflexes and nimble fingers. Many were maimed or died before reaching adulthood.

July 3, 1860 - Feminist and labor activist Charlotte Perkins Gilman was born. Her landmark study, Women and Economics, called for financial independence for women and proposed a network of child care centers.