New England Factories!
>The Britain wanted to keep their new industries a secret so other countries wouldn't have them>Samuel Slater memorized the design of Richard Awkrights machines and brought the designs to America where he built a cottom mill in Pawtucket, Rhode Island
>By 1800, he employed 100 people to work for him
Lowell's Mills
>In 1811, Francis Cabot Lowell went to Britain and made detailed drawings of the machines he had seen in the factories>He borrowed $400,000 to start the Boston Manufacturing company
>In 1814, he opened a textile plant in Waltham, Massachusetts, this factory used an entirely new arrangement which had everything needed manufactured in one place
>Factory system- A system bringing manufacturing together in one place to increase efficiency
Lowell's Girls
>Lowell's mills drew 80% of their workers from unmarried women between the ages of 15 and 30, some were even younger>The company built boarding houses for the Lowell's girls to ensure their safety, the young women who worked in Lowell's mills endured difficult working conditions
>The sound from the factories was earsplitting and the work was monotonous and required little skill. Lucy Larcom was one of these girls
>Revolutionary changes occurred in other industries
>In 1789, Eli Whitney recieved a contract from the U.S. gov't to make 10,000 rifles in 28 months. he came up with the idea of interchangeable parts which would mass produce exact duplicates of parts.
