· A British factory worker, Samuel Slater, set up a textile factory in Rhode Island in 1790.
·* This was the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in the U.S.!
· In 1814, Francis Lowell opened a textile factory in Waltham, Massachusetts.
·* The U.S. no longer had to buy finished textile products from Europe!
· Eli Whitney invented interchangeable parts.
· Products could now be put together and repaired easier then if they were completely hand made. Ex) cars, bicycles, guns
Factory Workers
· Women were paid half as much as men.
· To earn money, hours were long and wages were low.
Ex.) 12-15 hour work days
Earnings: men - $5 week; women - $2 week; children - $1 week
·* Cities developed as farmers and immigrants took available factory jobs.
