1. The Industrial Revolution
Chapter 11 Section 1

2. Why It Matters
In early America, most people worked as farmers. Men worked in the fields to produce food for their families. Women helped in the fields and made simple goods, like candles and soap, at home. The Industrial Revolution changed all this.

3. A Revolution in Technology
The Industrial Revolution began in Britain, in the textile (cloth-making) industry
Before the revolution it took one person 2 weeks to produce a pound of cotton thread.

4. Machines and Factories
In the 1760s the spinning jenny sped up the thread making process.
In 1764 Richard Arkwright invented the water frame, a spinning machine powered by running water
To house the new large machines, manufacturers built textile mills on the banks of rivers.

5. Factory System Factory systems bring workers together in one place
British mill owners had to invest in buildings and machines
Mill owners turned into capitalists, people who invest money in a business to earn a profit

6. Steam Power
In 1790 Arkwright built the first steam-powered textile plant
Factories no longer had to be built on riverbanks
Britain tried to protect its secrets about textile industry, skilled workers were forbidden to leave the country

7. The American Industrial Revolution
In 1789 Arkwright’s apprentice Samuel Slater boarded a ship to New York
Slater joined forces with a wealthy merchant and completely from memory created a spinning machine based off of Arkwright’s

8. American Industry Grows
Slater’s success marked the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in the US
Industrialization began in the Northeast

9. Lowell Mills
Francis Cabot Lowell built an improved version of the English Machines
Lowell’s factory brought spinning and weaving in one building
After Lowell died his partners built a new town with boardinghouses, a library and a hospital.

10. Lowell Girls
Girls who lived in boardinghouses under strict supervision
After work, the girls might attend lectures or visit libraries

11. The Revolution Takes Hold
Mass production was now accomplished
In the 1790’s Eli Whitney developed a system of interchangeable parts
Manufacturing became more efficient

12. Factory Life Slater employed children in his textile mill
As time went on, working conditions got worse
Factories were poorly lighted
Had little fresh air
Many workers were injured on the job
Workdays last 12 to 14 hours

13. Crash Course