Jute, Ships, and Exploration

Machine used in Jute Factory

I am currently living in the city of Dundee and Dundee is located right by the coast in the middle of Scotland.  Dundee is known for producing items like jam, jute, and journalism; these items are known as the 3 J's. In the heart of Dundee, I was able to visit an old jute mill that had been converted into a museum called Verdant Works.  Jute is a natural type of fiber that can be produced into long strands of thread. The museum talked the importance of jute and how jute revolutionized the economy.  Jute transformed Dundee into an economic powerhouse as Dundee began to produce large quantities of jute for the rest of the world. A majority of workers were women with many women having more economic power compared to other women during the 19th century.  However, women and children were paid less than men because factory owners used laws to exploit women and children by having people work for a longer time for a lesser wage. Men were less frequently employed than women because factory owners would be forced to pay a higher wage to men.  Often boys between the ages of 12-17 would be hired by factory owners, but boys would be fired when they turned 18 because boys over 18 would have to be paid a full time wage according to the law.  Overall, the working and living conditions in jute factories highlight the emergence of the Industrial Revolution in Scotland.  

A woman working in a Jute Factory

From the late half of the 1800's to the mid 1900's, the jute industry flourished as there was a high demand for jute in many parts of the world.  However, the production of jute had declined in Dundee after World War II.  In 1990, the last jute factory closed and there were only one or two companies who are still manufacturing jute today.    Jute was manufactured in large quantities due to boats who would import the jute from India into the harbor.  Jute would be transported from the harbor to the factories everyday.  If the ships did not bring jute into the harbor, workers would be sent home with no pay. Thus boats played a significant role in the development of jute in Dundee.

Aboard the RRS Discovery in Dundee 

After my visit to Verdant Works, I had the opportunity to visit Discovery Point; a museum that possesses a boat known as the RRS Discovery built in the 1800's and is located in the harbor next to the museum.   A boat like the Discovery would be used to deliver jute to the harbor.   As I walked throughout the boat, I could imagine what these sailors had to go through to survive.   I learned that many common food items like bread, carrots, and peas needed to be preserved.  The food did not look appetizing at all and I highly respect these individuals who will risk their lives at sea. Furthermore, people would face frigid conditions and there were many who died and people who survived would often face death. Explorers explored the frozen tundra of Antarctica because these explorers wanted to see Antarctica firsthand so they could be remembered by many people forever.  The boat serves as a reminder of how Dundee was a major economic powerhouse during this time.   Both the RRS Discovery and Verdant Works have demonstrated the development of the local economy in Dundee.  Both of these museums demonstrate that boats played in a crucial role in the development of jute production.

Before I arrived in Dundee, I did not believe that it would as impressive as London.  However, my first week has highlighted that it has such a rich and colorful history; I am excited to see what the future has in store for Dundee.