Samuel Slater: In 1790, a young English-born genius named Samuel Slater, employed by the Rhode Island merchant firm of Almy and Brown, began to spin cotton thread by machine in the first effective factory in the US. Migrated from Britain in 1789, having served as an apprentice under Richard Arkwright and then as a mill manager. He used his knowledge to build the first successful cotton-spinning mill in this country. Slater installed his machines in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, where the first successful factory was constructed. 3.
It turned work from hand to machine. It was the first water powered cotton spinning mill in America. It was powered by the Blackstone River. Work days in the Slater Mill were twelve to fourteen hours long. The bell on top of the mill determined
Most people who worked in the factories lived in the factories which had little living space, lack of proper ventilation and lack of proper hygiene (Wikipedia). Due to the poor living conditions and overcrowding people were subject to health issues and death related from communicable diseases. Along with the poor living conditions, hunger and malnutrition were common during this time. Labor laws did not exist. Workers worked long hours without breaks and children were also subjected to these cruel working conditions as they were often put to work alongside their parents.
Sir Titus Salt was born on the 20th of September 1803. He was the first of 7 children and aspired to be a doctor. In 1822 he moved with his family to Bradford to concentrate on the booming textiles business. In 1833, after Titus married his wife Caroline in 1830, Titus’ father passed away leaving Titus to inherit the family business. Throughout the next two centuries Titus continued his rise to fame becoming Mayor of Bradford in 1848 and working towards making conditions in factories better for workers.
Daily Inventions Today’s Topic: Whitney’s Wonderous Cotton Gin Q. Can you please tell me more about Eli Whitney’s invention of the cotton gin? A. Yes I can. In 1793 Eli Whitney of Massachusetts invented the cotton gin.
(Bellis.M) • It became a hit making many farmers and other industrialists millionaire. (Bellis.M) • Advance use of Cotton Gin (wikipedia) The biggest cotton plantation at that time was three times the size of Manhattan. (Bellis.M) • Cotton Plantation in America (wikipedia) Revolutionary Cotton Gin ● Eli Whitney's Cotton Gin not only revolutionized the way that cotton was produced but also transformed a weak southern economy in less than a decade and continued doing it till mid 19 th century. Many other countries adapted the same technology and benefitted heavily from
For example, the first cars were so expensive that only rich people could afford to buy them but cars became cheaper when Ford invented the moving assembly line and the work went faster. But there were also some bad effects of the advanced technology in the factory. The industrial workers became mere wage earners as the machinery was too expensive. Some worker had to face unemployment as the machines made the work faster than before and it required fewer workers at some point. This system made the working condition dangerous as many industrial workers face the possibility of fatal
Many workers lost hearing from loud machinery, lost limbs in hazardous equipment, and even lost their life due to the apathy of factory owners. The pay for such jobs remained meager despite these risky conditions. The average blue collar employee received $3.50 an hour, barely enough to get by in society. To make matters worse, workers were forced to work long hours during the week, usually over ten hours a day for six to seven days a week. With such appalling conditions, industrial workers were forced into action.
During this time, the state made several cuts to social care. This affected the social service industry greatly. The State of Illinois was the largest contributor to the agency for its duration, and had become delinquent with payments. This has affected the employees of Hull House as they are not receiving timely reimbursements, unable to carry out all work duties because of the reduction in hours, and receiving lower wages. The workers were not visiting the clients on a weekly basis as mandated by DCFS and paperwork was consistently late.
But these immigrant children did not get any pay, this was child labor because the under aged immigrant worker was used and did not receive pay. It was more of a two for one deal for the factory owner because small bodies were needed to fit a certain job. “They are doing away with a great deal of mule-spinning there and putting in ring-spinning…for that reason it takes a good deal of small help…they get all the small help they can to run these ring-frames.” (65). These requirements cost many immigrants available work, leaving these immigrant men without pay unable to provide for their families. In an interview Thomas O’Donnell explains “…at Fall River if a man has not got a boy to act as “back-boy” it is very hard for him to get along…in many cases discharging men in that work and put in men who have boys…and that has brought my circumstances down very much…our children are very often sickly of not having sufficient clothes, shoes, food or something” (64, 65).