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The Early Life of Samuel
Slater
Samuel Slater was
the son of a farmer who was born in Belper, Derbyshire, England on
June 9, 1768. At the age of 14 years old Samuel Slater joined the
textile industry, apprenticed to a man called Jedediah Strutt at
Strutt's mill. Jedediah Strutt was the partner of Richard Arkwright
and owned of one of the first cotton mills in Belper. Strutt was
forward thinking and introduced new technology into the mill. Samuel Slater
was a bright young man and over a period of 8 years rose to become
the superintendent of Strutt's mill. Richard Arkwright (1732 – 1792)
invented the spinning frame (later renamed the water frame) and a
rotary carding engine that converted raw cotton into cotton lap (a
compressed layer or sheet of cotton).
Samuel Slater learnt everything
he could about the new inventions and machines and made the decision
to immigrate to the new world, despite the English laws.
Samuel Slater for kids: Inspired by Benjamin Franklin
Samuel Slater was inspired by Benjamin Franklin and the Pennsylvania
Society for the Encouragement of Manufactures and Useful Arts.
Benjamin Franklin made it known that cash prizes would be awarded
for any inventions that improved the textile industry in the United
States. The new nation needed to grow. Before the Revolutionary War
there were very few mills or factories in the colonies
- men like Samuel Slater would change the face of the nation.
Samuel Slater Emigrates to America
Samuel Slater decided to seek his fortune in the new world. He was
unable to take patterns or designs of the new machinery with him but
he was totally familiar with the methods and new spinning inventions
and memorized the designs. Samuel Slater defied the British law
against the emigration of textile workers and left England, in
secret. He landed in New York in 1789. He contacted Moses Brown and
William Almy, who owned a fulling mill Pawtucket, Rhode Island,
offering his services as a textile expert. Brown and Almy accepted
his offer and invited Samuel Slater to Pawtucket, Rhode Island to
run the spindles that they had bought from Providence.
Samuel Slater in Pawtucket, Rhode Island
Samuel Slater arrived in Pawtucket, Rhode Island in January, 1790.
He inspected the spindles, which turned out to be pretty useless and
convinced Almy and Brown of his knowledge of the textile business
and the new methods of spinning and they made him a partner. Working
without drawings he started to build textile machines. By
December 20, 1790, Samuel Slater had built two 72-spindled spinning
frames together with carding, drawing, and roving machines. The
water-wheel from the existing mill furnished the power. Samuel
Slater had fulfilled all of his promises and the textile machinery
he produced was a great success.
Samuel Slater - "Father of American Industry"
A patent for
the new
Eli Whitney cotton gin
ensured ample supplies of cotton from the Southern states. In 1798
Samuel Slater split from his partners Almy and Brown and formed the
Samuel Slater & Company in partnership with his father-in-law Oziel
Wilkinson. In 1799 his brother, John Slater, also emigrated from
England bring news of the latest English inventions including the
spinning mule. The company went on to develop other mills in Rhode
Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. The success
and designs used in the Slater Mill were emulated by other textile
manufacturers. Samuel Slater was to earn the nickname of the "Father
of American Industry".
Samuel Slater - "Father of American Industry"
Samuel
Slater died on April 21, 1835 in Webster, Massachusetts. When he
died he was a millionaire, owning 13 mills. Slater Mill, still
stands today and operates as a working museum dedicated to
preserving the history of Samuel Slater and his contribution to
American industry - the "Founder of the American Industrial
Revolution". Also refer to the
Cyrus McCormick Mechanical Reaper.
Samuel Slater for
kids
The info about the
Samuel Slater provides interesting facts and
important information about this important event that occured during the presidency of the
1st President of the United States of America.
Samuel Slater for kids - President George Washington Video
The article on the
Samuel Slater provides an overview of one of the
innovations and developments during the presidency of
George Washington. For additional info refer to
Facts on Industrial Revolution Inventions. The following video will give you additional important facts, history and dates about the political events experienced by the 1st
American President whose presidency spanned from April 30, 1789 to March 4, 1797.
Samuel Slater
●
Interesting Facts about the
Samuel Slater for kids and schools
● Samuel Slater and the
Rhode Island Mill
● One of the Important
events of the era
●
George Washington Presidency from April 30, 1789 to March 4, 1797
●
Fast, interesting facts about the Samuel Slater
●
Foreign & Domestic
policies of President George Washington
● George Washington Presidency and
Samuel Slater for schools,
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