Samuel Slater

Samuel Slater was an English-born inventor and industrialist who played a pivotal role in America's Industrial Revolution. He is often called the "Father of the American Factory System" because he brought British textile manufacturing techniques to the United States in the late 18th century. After memorizing designs for cotton-spinning machines, he emigrated to America and established the first successful water-powered cotton mill in Rhode Island in 1790. His innovations helped transform the textile industry, significantly increasing production and efficiency, and paved the way for the growth of factories in America, shaping the country's economic landscape.