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Compiled by Sarah M. Bradley
The history of the textile industry in America
began in 1790 when Samuel Slater, an Englishman, built the first
cotton spinning frame in America in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. The
textile industry quickly found a home in New England, which with
its many rivers and its relatively poor climate for agriculture
seemed a perfect fit. Connecticut was no exception. Many varieties
of textiles and methods of textile production were developed here
in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The mass production of textiles
coincided with the shift from an agrarian economy to a manufacturing
economy. Conveniences such as ready-to-wear clothing became necessities
in the changing nation and continued to fuel the growth of the
textile industry. Eventually the Great Depression, along with
advances in the development of the steam engine greatly diminished
the financial success of textile manufacturers. Many of the textile
companies began to migrate south where they were closer to raw
materials, labor was cheaper, and they were closer to coal supplies
needed to operate the steam engines. The textile industry in Connecticut
still serves as a testament to the innovation and hard work of
all involved in its development, from the mill owners to the average
wage laborer.
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