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The Threads of Change Lowell, Massachusetts and the American Industrial Revolution

The Threads of Change Lowell, Massachusetts and the American Industrial Revolution. The Beginnings—Mid 1700s. Britian Island kingdom Sea power with colonialist tendencies Huge war debt. The Beginnings—Mid 1700s. Changes in agriculture Poor harvests

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The Threads of Change Lowell, Massachusetts and the American Industrial Revolution

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  1. The Threadsof ChangeLowell, Massachusetts and the American Industrial Revolution

  2. The Beginnings—Mid 1700s • Britian • Island kingdom • Sea power with colonialist tendencies • Huge war debt

  3. The Beginnings—Mid 1700s • Changes in agriculture • Poor harvests • Increased productivity in farming allows growth of cities/factories

  4. British Textiles—Wool • Woolen Industry • Prevented export of • Machinery • Knowledge • Great political power • Laws for woolen burial clothing

  5. British Textiles—Cotton • Cotton Thread • The “Mule” by Samuel Crompton (1779) • Drawing machine • Spinning jenny • 48 threads at once

  6. British Textiles—Cotton • Automated Loom • Patented in 1786 byEdmund Cartright • Improved in 1803 • Thread (yarn) in one plant, cloth in another

  7. American Textiles • Cotton yarn • Almy and Brown’s spinning mill in Pawtucket, RI • Opened in 1790 by Samuel Slater a British engineer • Weaving • Domestic handicraft

  8. American Espionage • Before the War of 1812 • Scarcity of high quality cotton • Handlooms unable to meet needs • Francis C. Lowell • visits Manchester 1811

  9. American Espionage • Paul MoodyMaster Mechanic (1813/14) • America’s first power loom • Inferior cloth, but inexpensive • Survived post war glut of English imports

  10. Lowell, Massachusetts • America’s premier center of textile manufacturing • Boston Manufacturing Company (1814) • Raw cotton to finished cloth at a single site

  11. Lowell, Massachusetts • Comprehensive industrial system was an integration of • Technology • Finance • Mangement US National Park Service model

  12. “City of Spindles” • Twenty-two mills in operation by 1836 • 130,000 spindles • 4,200 looms • 6,800 workers (80% women) • 320,000 spindles by 1850

  13. The Factory Workforce • Jefferson—“Let our workshops remain in Europe” • Massachusetts system • “Mill Girls” • From area farms • Fairly paid($2.25-$4.00/week less $1.25 R/B)

  14. Working Conditions • Dark, dusty, and deadly. . . • Windows nailed shut to control humidity • Close quarters (110 looms, 55 operators) • 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. with two half hour breaks for breakfast and noontime dinner

  15. Working Conditions • Piece rates • “Kiss of Death”—sucking broken threads through bobbin spread tuberculosis and other infectious diseases

  16. Lowell, MA—Today • Major tourist attraction • Museums (NPS) • Boott Mill • Power Station still working • Pawtucket Canal Tours

  17. Lowell, MA—Today • Looms still manufacture cloth • Souvenir dish towels • 1920s weaving room • Looms moved upfrom TN & SC Web Pagehttp://www.nps.gov/lowe/

  18. Image Credits HMS Victory:http://www.romseynet.org.uk/places/victory/victory1.jpg Samuel Crompton:http://www.bolton.ac.uk/bolton/cromp.html Rev. Edmund Cartright:http://www.mhs.ox.ac.uk/publish/cards.htm “Mill Girl” image:http://www.uml.edu/Lowell/lowl_off.gif Boott Mill images:http://www.nps.gov/lowe/

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