In the last quarter of the 19th century, most African American women worked as washerwoman or domestic servants. Many white families, poor and well-to-do alike, relied on washerwomen to wash their clothing and household linen. However, efforts by African American women to increase their wages were consistently met with resistance — though many women remained undeterred. In 1881, washerwomen in Atlanta staged the largest-ever strike by African Americans, walking off the job for weeks until their demands and those of other service workers were met.
