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Herbert Gutman often prefaced his arguments by pointing out that "little is known" about the particular subject at hand. This certainly was true of women's history during his lifetime. Gutman's work and his presence in the historical profession contributed enormously to altering that fact. Gutman's approach to history did more than any particular study or article to inform and invigorate the field of women's history. The questions he posed, how he posed them, and the way he used sources opened new areas to historical study and freed us to consider the history of those who left no state papers, no archives, and no published documents. With a basically humanistic approach; Gutman considered history part science and part literature. He combined numbers from the census with poems written by slaves and workers. The implications of Gutman's approach proved critical for women's history. By probing sources in a new way, he opened the possibility of new questions as well. Arenas of life previously considered impossible to scrutinize from an historical perspective suddenly became important arenas of investigation. Gutman included women in his vision, not as appendages but on the stage of American life.

The article offers a response to the articles within the issue that reviewed the book "Empty Mills," by this article's author. Particular focus is given to the textile industry in the U.S. from the 1950s through the early 21st century, including in regard to deindustrialization and the textile industry in Lowell, Massachusetts.