Francis Cabbot Lowell and his two business partners spent half a million dollars to build the world’s first factory table that converted freshly picked cotton into cloth using power machines. In his new textile mill he decided to hire women instead of poor working class citizens. These women came from upper class families and they came to work for 2-3 years right before they were planning to go off and get married. Spinning and weaving was always a woman’s job so Lowell felt women were a good fit for his factory, and women were willing to accept wages (pay) for lower than most men. Girls in the factory had to follow very strict rules. If a woman was caught smoking, lying, drinking, swearing, or participating in any other act that was considered immoral, they could be fired. The women had to go church and live in boarding houses provided by the factories.

What does this treatment set the stage for?

In just six years, Francis Cabot Lowell built up an American textile manufacturing industry. He was born in Newburyport, Massachusetts in 1775, and became a successful merchant. On a trip to England at age 36, he was impressed by British textile mills. Like Samuel Slater before him, Lowell was inspired to create his own manufacturing enterprise in the United States.