Knit Happens: The Story of Historic Slater Mill
The Industrial Revolution is a period of American history that everyone has learned about in high school, or perhaps from even at a younger age. Many people think about the negative effects this period brought about in the modern day. I would bet that you almost assuredly see the phrase “the Industrial Revolution and its consequences” in random Internet comment sections from time to time. However, no one can deny just how innovative this period was, as well. One of the most important inventions stemming from the Industrial Revolution was the textile mill, a device used to convert raw fibers into yarn, thread, fabric or other useful products. Located in Pawtucket, RI, Slater Mill was the first mill in all of the United States and a major historical site today. While perhaps not the most glamorous or exciting site discussed on this blog, Slater Mill is one of the most important sites in not just Rhode Island, but American history.
The History
So, why is it called Slater Mill? Well the answer is quite simple: the mill’s founder was named Samuel Slater, sometimes referred to as the “Father of the American Industrial Revolution.” Born in England, Slater worked as an apprentice at a cotton mill under a man named Jedidiah Strut from a very young age. Over time, he became an expert in textile machinery and gained a great deal of knowledge on this new type of technology. Slater later moved to the United States in search of new economic opportunities in the late 1780s.
To be a little more specific, when I say “new economic opportunities in America,” Slater heard about how America was looking to develop similar technology as England’s on their soil. While England was seeing rapid economic growth due to the innovations of the spinning frame and other textile machinery, the United States was still creating yarn and similar products manually one person at a time. However, due to legislation and tensions between America and England at the time, it was outlawed to export the designs of what became the textile mill. Nonetheless, Slater sailed across the Atlantic Ocean and soon met with Moses Brown, a wealthy industrialist from Rhode Island looking to implement the designs he brought with him. Some English people have referred to Slater as “Slater the Traitor” and there are arguments as to whether he is more so an American hero or a British traitor, but that is a debate for another day.
After arriving in the US and meeting with Moses Brown, Slater was hired to build a machine that would spin cotton fiber into thread. With his first-hand experience working with English textile machinery and designs he remembered from his homeland, Slater got to work and he quickly found success. By the early 1790s, the first ever textile mill was constructed in what became known as Slater Mill. The mill was water-powered and produced high quality cotton yarn at an efficiency that could not be met by humans on their own. To produce yarn at an even faster rate, Slater would hire entire families and create an assembly line type of system. Samuel Slater and his mill were arguably the most quintessential example of the rapid industrialization that took place during this time period in American history.
Later on, Slater Mill would go on to expand in size and update its machinery as technology continued to advance. It continued to be a cotton spinning textile mill through the end of the 19th century and soon after the Old Slater Mill Association was established as a means of restoring and preserving the site. In 1966, Slater Mill became a National Historical Landmark after it was added to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). In even more recent times, the historical site was acquired by the National Park Service in 2021 and continues to be a museum and educational center to this day, roughly 230 years after it first opened.
Fun Facts
Slater Mill is not only the site of the first mill in American history, it was also where the first factory strike in the US took place. To further increase efficiency and productivity at the mill, Samuel Slater and other mill owners developed methods to achieve these goals. Unfortunately, this came at the expense of the workers, many of whom were young people and even children. By the year 1824, there were announcements of increasing work hours and decreasing pay for workers who were power loom weavers. These workers were made up entirely of young women between the ages of 15 and 30. Rather than giving in to the situation, these women and other community members led a strike to block the entrance to the mill. Their efforts spread to several other mills in the local area, one of which was set on fire. Eventually a compromise was met, but little of it is known today.
Another fun fact is that Pawtucket, Rhode Island (where Slater Mill was built and still resides today) and Belper, Derbyshire, England (where Samuel Slater was originally from) are sister towns. While, once again, many from Belper have frequently used the saying “Slater the Traitor” over the years, the town actually holds a town festival every year in honor of Pawtucket and the fact that the two are sister towns.
Simon Says
I visited Slater Mill as a part of a field trip in middle school, but have been to the site several other times during my life. I am from Pawtucket and Slater Mill is arguably the most significant or interesting place from the city. To be completely honest, I wish the city I was from had a cooler story besides the fact that in it resides “the oldest mill in the country,” but there are many more cool attractions today to be fair. Also, the historical significance of the site is undeniable.
There are guided tours offered at Slater Mill, which I would definitely recommend if given the chance. Also, due to its location in the downtown area and close proximity to Providence, Slater Mill is a site not just of history especially during summer months. Live music and festivals can be featured within or nearby the mill today. While the history of the site is definitely its most intriguing feature, it has a lot more to offer than you may expect. I would rate Slater Mill as an 8.5/10. Do you remember if you learned about Slater Mill in school during a unit in history class about the Industrial Revolution? And also, is this a site you would want to visit if you were able to? Let me know what you think!
References
Housman, Talya. “Slater Mill.” EnCompass, n.d. http://library.providence.edu/encompass/rhode-island-and-the-industrial-revolution/primary-sources/slater-mill/
La Neve Defrancesco, Joey. “Pawtucket, America’s First Factory Strike.” Jacobin, 6 June 2018. https://jacobin.com/2018/06/factory-workers-strike-textile-mill-women
NPS Staff. “Slater Mill.” National Park Service, n.d. https://www.nps.gov/blrv/learn/historyculture/slatermill.htm