Learn about textile mills in the Industrial Revolution of the 1700s to 1800s. Explore who invented the textile mill and where textile factories were in the colonies.
Updated: 11/21/2023
Textile Mills in the 1800s | Industrial Revolution & History
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Frequently Asked Questions
How did textile mills work in the 1800s?
Textile mills in the 1800s were either water or steam-powered. This energy was used to quickly and efficiently turn cotton into thread for weaving and to quickly weave thread into fabric or textiles. The invention of John Kay's flying shuttle and Richard Arkwright's water-powered spinning machine allowed for the mass production of textile goods.
Why were textile mills built?
Textile mills were built in order to create more textile products. Before the Industrial Revolution, many workers had few goods due to access and availability of products. A person might have only had one or two shirts due to having to spin each thread of cotton and weave each thread of a textile by hand. Using machines to produce more textiles meant there would be more availability of goods at affordable prices.
Who invented textile mills?
Textile mills were first invented in England by Richard Arkwright. After John Kay created the flying shuttle, Arkwright saw more need to efficiently produce textiles. He created the water-powered spindle for quickly spinning cotton and wool into thread. He then pursued this further by creating textile mills for producing fabrics on a larger scale. These new inventions were easy to replicate, which allowed mills to be built with ease.
What did textile mills do?
Textile mills were essential in shaping the Industrial Revolution. Not only did they establish a means for creating textile fabrics on much larger scales, but they also created employment opportunities. People were leaving rural farmlands to pursue jobs in industrial cities, thus creating more opportunities and a new culture of a workforce.
How did textiles affect the Industrial Revolution?
Textiles affected the Industrial Revolution by providing more readily available goods and more job opportunities. For the first time, it was becoming easier to transport resources, allowing for textile mills to have more quantities of wool or cotton than ever before. Textile mills created jobs for many Americans needing steady work. The rise in demand provided more openings in mills. Though the work was tedious, the jobs at textile mills provided women and children with essential skills.
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ShowThe Industrial Revolution began in Europe at the end of the 18th century. Before this time, people only had access to limited resources as most goods were made by hand. Great Britain had been a large producer of wool, cotton, and linen materials, but did not have the means to produce fabrics in large quantities. At the height of the Enlightenment period, English inventor Richard Arkwright had the idea to make the spinning thread and weaving textiles more efficient. He created the original spinning machine, allowing textiles to be woven faster to produce more. A water wheel was used to power the spinning machine, thus leading to more high-powered industrialism. Rivers and streams were becoming a vital force in mass-producing goods. English industrialist Samuel Slater brought the ideas of these mass-producing machines to economically independent America after he spent time mesmerizing how the machines worked. This became the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in America.
As coal and water began driving the efficiency of the production of goods, so did the demand rise. Textile factories, or mills, began to improve the manufacturing of fabrics. Industrial revolution machines allowed factories to produce textiles on a much larger scale by directly weaving thread and turning it into fabric. The first textile mill appeared in Europe in the 1740s, prior to Samuel Slater bringing industrialization to America. As demand continued to rise, so did the number of textile mills across Europe and America, which created a whole new employment culture.
Who Invented the Textile Mill?
Small cotton mills first appeared in Britain in the 1740s. Many of these mills were animal-powered and the weaving was done by hand. In 1733 English machinist John Kay had the idea to create automatic weaving machines instead of using traditional hand-looming to make fabrics. He created the 'flying shuttle' to automatically help weave thread from side to side on a loom. Through this technological creation, the first textile mill was built. Kay's flying shuttle allowed for a faster weaving process of textiles, leading to more textile factories. However, the process of making textiles was still incumbent upon the availability of thread that was handspun. It was not until 1764 that Richard Arkwright had the idea for a spinning machine that would enhance the textile process. Arkwright's invention would allow cotton and wool to be spun by the machine rather than by hand. By combining the invention of John Kay with his ideas, Arkwright built the first-ever water-powered textile mill, known as the Cromford Mill.
Built in Derbyshire, England, in 1771, the Cromford Mill became a prototype for the production of future mills. The machine used a water wheel to power the spinning machine allowing for a huge quantity of fabric and textiles to be produced. Many of the machines used at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution were replicated with ease. Many textile mills began popping up around small towns and villages that had ample supply of cotton and wool to simplify mass production. Arkwright's ideas for textile mills continued to be a success. In 1777 he constructed the Haarlem Mill in Wirksworth, England. With some mills not being built near rivers or streams, Arkwright began thinking of new ways to power the machines. Coal was becoming more rapidly available; the invention of steam-powered locomotives paved the way for other uses for coal. Haarlem Mill was known as the first of its kind to use steam power. This new advancement meant that mills no longer had to be built in rural areas, but could now be built in bustling urban cities throughout Europe.
Where were the Textile Factories in the Colonies?
Now separated from Great Britain, American colonies were alone economically and in competition with the booming industrialization of Europe. English entrepreneur Samuel Slater decided to capitalize on British industrial inventions in America. After learning about the different techniques used in textile mills across Great Britain, Slater moved to the colonies to secretly implore the same techniques in America. At the time, British law prohibited any such sharing of ideas or inventions, so Slater was left to execute his vision by memory.
Cotton was already one of the leading crops in America in the 18th century. Slater knew that American textile mills would ultimately be able to produce more than in Great Britain due to the vast amount of farmland. The first water-powered textile mill was built in 1790. Soon after, Eli Walach invented the cotton gin, the machine for sorting cotton seeds from fiber to be expedited, inevitably allowing for textile production to increase rapidly. Some of the first mills were built in Waltham, Massachusetts. Not long after, textile factories began popping up throughout colonial America and southern states.
Though many Americans credit Samuel Slater as the father of textile mills in the American Industrial Revolution, he was not perceived with such honor in his homeland of England. Once Great Britain became aware of American industrialization, they were entirely at odds. The British were very much in disagreement with Slater. Exporting textiles from Great Britain was not permissible. Once a distinguished English businessman, Slater was later nicknamed 'Slater the Traitor' for stealing Great Britain's ideas and exporting textiles against British law.
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Toward the end of the 18th century, a few small textile mills existed in America, primarily in Massachusetts. After Samuel Slater helped initiate the industrialization of textile mills in America, merchant Francis Cobot Lowell decided to expand upon these ideas. New types of technology were becoming readily available in the early 1800s. Lowell implored the water-powered loom and other technologies to create the first large textile mill in America, forming the Boston Manufacturing Company. The factory was built near the Charles River, allowing for water-powered machinery and efficient transfer of goods. Lowell introduced a new system within the factory to expedite production. He integrated a chain of tasks to be completed throughout the process, thus forming the Lowell Factory System. This organization system grew in popularity and was used in many factories throughout America. Lowell was also known for hiring young farm girls to work in the mills. He paid them lower wages than men, but offered them additional benefits such as clean housing.
Textile Factory Reforms in the Industrial Revolution
Though textile factories allowed for more production of goods on a faster scale, there were many hindrances with such demand. Many people were leaving the rural farm life for jobs in the industrial cities. The more employees needed to fulfill textile positions, the more issues arose. Many workers spent 10-12 hours working in hot loud factories. Machines took up much of the space in factories, leaving little room for workers. People were packed into spaces and could quickly become injured by a machine. Illness ran rampant throughout mills significantly when temperatures dropped. Even small cotton particles filling the air became just as dangerous as any disease. The Lowell factories often had better working conditions than other mills in Great Britain or America. Due to high employment needs, many factory owners were subjected to using children to help run machines. Sometimes as young as nine, children were found working in factories with poor conditions for up to 10 hours a day.
These harsh conditions moved swiftly from mill to mill, prompting a closer look at labor reform. Activist Sarah Bagley worked at the Lowell factory for years. She grew increasingly discontent with the high demands, long hours, and wage cuts of the factory. In 1844 she formed a labor union. Her activism in labor reform called out textile mills for their poor conditions. However, legislation gave little to no consideration to Bagley's requests. It was not until 1845 that Bagley left her mill job to be a contributor to the journal Voice of Industry. Bagley was finally able to give the factory workers a voice and bring eyes to the harsh working conditions of the American Industrial Revolution.
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The Industrial Revolution began at the end of the 18th century in Great Britain. Richard Arkwright was a catalyst in the revolution, creating water-powered spinning machines to produce textiles efficiently. He built both the Cromford Mill (water-powered) and Haarlem Mill (steam-powered). English businessman Samuel Slater secretly took Arkwright's ideas to America against British law. Slater helped design textile machinery from memory and was nicknamed 'Slater the Traitor' by Great Britain. Francis Cobot Lowell initiated the textile mill movement through his Lowell Factory System to organize the manufacturing process. As demand for textiles rose, so did the number of workers needed to fill those demands. Many women and children were used to fill positions at lower costs. However, more people in small spaces quickly created harsh working conditions. Sarah Bagley was one of the first textile mill labor reformers, fighting for fair pay, safer working conditions, and more reasonable hours.
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Video Transcript
Textiles in the Industrial Revolution
For most of us, textile mills probably don't dot the landscape surrounding the cities and towns we live, and if they do exist, they're likely not operational. In our modern society, many of the clothes we wear are made overseas in places like Thailand, Vietnam, or elsewhere in Southeast Asia. Because we don't see textile mills regularly, it's difficult for us to imagine just how visible they were during the Industrial Revolution.
The Industrial Revolution took place between the mid-18th to mid-19th century. It was a time in which profound technological and industrial advances took place, particularly in the areas of textile manufacturing, steam technology, iron production, and machine tooling. Many new innovations were becoming available to improve the quality of life for those that had access to their products.
In Europe, textile mills began popping up as early as the 1740s. As time went by, mills became larger and more advanced. In many cases, entire villages and towns were centered around mills. Mills provided employment, brought economic growth to the area, and even provided town residents with educational and leisure opportunities. In the context of the Industrial Revolution, mills became a life-center for the surrounding area. This was true across both sides of the Atlantic.
Development of Textile Mills
Before the Industrial Revolution, textiles were produced according to a small-scale putting-out system. Under this system, merchants contracted out work to ordinary women and even children to produce textiles in their own homes. Articles of clothing were then sold by merchants to the general public at markets and other retail venues. The introduction of the flying shuttle by John Kay in 1733 and other mechanized devices accelerated production, leading to the development of textile factories, or mills. Several early mills popped up in Great Britain throughout the 1740s, and throughout the coming decades the mill system continued to expand.
Many early mills were powered by horses (yes, literal ''horse-power''), but in time, water-power became a popular means of powering textile machinery. Richard Arkwright played an important role in this development when he patented a water-powered spinning frame in 1769. Arkwright's Cromford Mill built in Derbyshire in 1771 is considered to be the first modern water-powered cotton mill. With its box-like design, the Cromford Mill served as the standard architectural model for mills. This type of mill would be replicated all over the world throughout the coming century. The need for water-power meant that many mills popped up along rivers and waterways. In the United States, the waterways of the New England region provided a convenient location for mills.
Throughout the 18th century, innovators had experience with steam power. By the late 18th, century steam engines were being used in textile mills. Arkwright's Haarlem Mill, also in Derbyshire, was the first cotton mill to employ steam power. Steam power meant that mills didn't have to be built in rural areas near waterways. They could be built in the heart of urban centers.
Mills did not pop up in North America as early as they did in Great Britain. Remember, the Industrial Revolution began in Great Britain, so there was somewhat of a delay in its spread elsewhere. British-born Samuel Slater is the man responsible for bringing British textile technology to North America. He is considered the Father of the American Industrial Revolution. In Great Britain it was illegal to export textile machinery because the British sought to maintain a monopoly on their technology, but the shrewd Slater memorized the designs for British textile machinery and immigrated to the United States where he replicated them. Because of this, in Britain he has come to be known as ''Slater the Traitor.''
Social Impact
Textile mills produced cotton, woolens, and other types of fabrics, but they weren't limited to just production. Textile mills brought jobs to the areas where they were built, and with jobs came economic and societal growth. During the Industrial Revolution, villages and towns often grew up around factories and mills. In some cases, libraries, churches, and other centers of culture and learning developed because of mills.
In the United States, Francis Cabot Lowell pioneered what has come to be known as the Lowell Factory System. Under this system, young, unmarried women worked in his mills and lived together in boarding houses on the property of the mill. Young, unmarried women with fewer responsibilities such as a family provided cheap labor for the mills. These women, often between the ages of 13-30 became known as ''mill girls.'' Lowell ensured that his ''mill girls'' were held to strict moral standards. This included religious instruction. He also went to great lengths to see that they were given leisure and educational opportunities, an idea that was pretty progressive in his day.
However, like many operations during the Industrial Revolution, working conditions would be considered intolerable today. Eventually the women came together for change. Sarah Bagley for one, promoted labor reform, the 10-hour workday, and edited the labor newspaper, The Voice of Industry.
Lesson Summary
Let's review. The Industrial Revolution (mid-1700s to mid-1800s) was a time in which profound technological and industrial advances took place, including in textile manufacturing. Richard Arkwright's Cromford Mill, built in 1771, is considered to be the first modern water-powered cotton mill. Its architectural design became the standard model for other mills around the world. Arkwright's other mill, the Haarlem Mill, was the first cotton mill to employ steam power.
British-born Samuel Slater is the man responsible for bringing British textile technology to North America and is considered the ''Father of the American Industrial Revolution.'' Francis Cabot Lowell pioneered what has come to be known as the Lowell Factory System, where young, unmarried women worked in his mills and lived together in boarding houses on the property. Like other industries, textile mills' working conditions could be arduous and unhealthy. Sarah Bagley for one, promoted labor reform, the 10-hour workday, and edited the labor newspaper, The Voice of Industry.
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Textile Mills in the 1800s | Industrial Revolution & History
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