union newspaper editor leon stein. history is one of a sequence of newcomers to america who stepped foot into america and the sweatshop, almost simultaneously. it was a cesspool. lint and dust in the air darkness or inadequate lighting, crowded machinery, dirty floors men and women stripped to the waist, bending over their machines, children lolling about. a scene out of hell. joann argersinger, professor of history at the university of maryland, baltimore county. the 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 wome