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Paterson, New Jersey, became known as Silk City because it produced nearly 50 percent of U.S. silk and was home to 300 silk mills and dye houses. Tensions between workers and management occurred regularly over several decades. Overworked silk workers generally labored fifty-five hours a week: ten hours Monday through Friday and five hours on Saturdays. Management historically paid wages well below national averages. Many children as young as nine worked in the mills.