joann argersinger, professor of history at the university of maryland, baltimore county. sweatshops in the late 19th century came about because of the industry's structure. there was a chaotic industry. it was intensely competitive. there were a large number of workers particularly women and immigrants who were easy prey for many of the employers. stiff competition and narrow profit margins gave employers a powerful incentive to get their labor as cheap as possible. employers had millions to choose from. could these young girls possibly even the odds? it started with the shirtwaist, a kind of blouse whose nationwide popularity turned the women's garment industry from hand stitching to mass production. with the advent of the shirtwaist, you began to get factories big assemblies of workers. up until this time workers didn't know each other. they feared each other. "how much is he asking in other departments?" now they were all on one floor. because they could talk to each other even though they were forbidden, they got to know each other the prelude to organization. the int