The best characterization of textile mill workers in the early nineteenth century would be b. young farm women whose behavior was closely monitored.
During this period, many young women, often from rural backgrounds, began to take jobs in textile mills as part of the broader industrialization process. Their work in the mills was usually under strict supervision, and they often lived in company boarding houses under regulations that monitored their behavior. This portrayal reflects the social dynamics and the significant role that young women played in the labor force of textile factories during this era.