Samuel Slater Hero or Traitor?

The Industrial Revolution Spreads

to North America

Review

• Industrial Revolution began in Britain &

became the world’s leading industrial power.

• Inventions and ideas that were developed in

Britain were then taken to other parts of the
world.

• Inventions and ideas taken to North America

by new immigrants who were settling the
land, and so began the development of American
industry.

Movement of Industrial Knowledge to the
United States

• Britain wanted to keep their

advantage over the rest of the world, so their
government tried to prevent the spread of
industrial technology to other countries.

• Main challenge? How to do it?
Think about it, and tell me how you think they could control this.

How Could Britain Try to Prevent the Movement of
Industrial Knowledge to the US?
1.

Penalties if caught smuggling plans or
blueprints of the new machines out of the
country.

2.

Laws to prevent immigration of skilled workers
to American colonies.

3.

Laws made recruiting immigrants an offense.

Drag and Drop

What would have happened to someone caught smuggling out blueprints and plans? They would have been ​

Placeholder

Drag these tiles and drop them in the correct blank above

fined and spent time in prison.

the death penalty

nothing at all

Video Response

Think about what you learned when studying Ancient China and the Silk Road. Didn't they try as country to keep how to make silk a secret? What did they do? What do you think England could do to keep a secret about industry?

Open Video Recorder

Poll

What do you think about protecting intellectual property?

• I respect other people's work and ideas. I would pay them to download their music or play their video games.

• I get around paying people, and get it for free. I never thought about this as stealing before.

• I will continue to steal peoples property because I can. I realize I could pay consequences for it.

• I didn't know their were consequences for trying to get things free.

Sam Slater:
Traitor or Hero?
• born in 1768. He was just 8 years old when America gained independence from Britain.
• When he was 15, he became an apprentice in a

textile mill

• Hard worker, promoted to the position of

overseer in the mill

• Learned of recruiting agents for the Americas

• Philadelphia newspaper reported a reward of 100

pounds for anyone who could produce replacement
parts for Hargreaves’ spinning jenny.

• Goal: once his apprenticeship was complete (6 ½

years), he would immigrate to the Americas (seen
as land of promise)

Sam Slater:
Traitor or Hero? continued…
• 1789: at 21 years of age, Slater sailed to the newly

independent United States (after American War
of Independence)

• Memorized the technical drawings of textile

machines

• However, he needed his apprenticeship papers to

prove to the Americans that he was a skilled
textile worker – sewed them into the lining of his
coat.

Sam Slater:
Traitor or Hero? continued…
• Disguised himself as a farmer, boarded a ship, and

arrived in New York in November, 1789

• Heard that Moses Brown, a Quaker from

Pawtucket, Rode Island, was having trouble w/his
textile machines

• Moses Brown – mill owner

• Quaker: a member of the Religious Society of Friends.

The Quakers are a group of Christians who use no
scripture and believe in great simplicity in daily life
and in worship. Their services consist mainly of silent
meditation

Sam Slater:
Traitor or Hero? continued…
• Slater offered to help Brown with a

money-back guarantee: “If I do not make as
good a yarn as they do in England, I will
have nothing for my services.”

• Brown hired him
• Slater soon regretted his promise…why?

Sam Slater:
Traitor or Hero? continued…
• Brown introduced Slater to Orziel

Wilkinson

• Wilkinson owned an iron foundry, worked

w/his four sons

• Foundry was not as developed compared to

British factories, but the Wilkinsons were
skilled & Slater redrew all the parts from
memory

• Wilkinsons were able to built all the parts

Sam Slater:
Traitor or Hero? continued…
• December, 1790 (13 months after Slater

arrived in New York): Slater had Brown’s
72-spindle machine running properly

• 1793: Slater rebuilt the mill when it became

inadequate to meet the demand for cloth

Sam Slater:
Traitor or Hero? continued…
• Slater developed a partnership with David

Wilkinson.

• Son of Orziel Wilkinson

• 1809: 17 mills around Providence, Rhode

Island, w/a capacity of 14,290 spindles.

• Picture of Slater’s first mill (page 16 of your

textbook)

• What do you notice about the picture?

Sam Slater:
Traitor or Hero? continued…
• April 20, 1835: Sam Slater died
• a

• A
• Textile industry in the USA became the

foundation for other industries.

• Textile industry in USA remains one of the

most important industries today.

…
• Was Sam Slater a traitor or a hero?

Video Response

Why did he regret his promise to Brown?

Was he a traitor or a hero?

Open Video Recorder

Water Power in New England

• Water power was essential for the new textile

machines.

• New England states fortunate because they had a

large number of streams that would supply
the needed power

The states of New England
are Connecticut, Maine,
Massachusetts, New
Hampshire, Rhode Island, and
Vermont. Together, they form
the northeasternmost point of
the United States.

Multiple Choice

The first factory machinery ran on __________ power during the early part of the Industrial Revolution.

• Steam

• Electric

• Water

• animal

Considering an Essential Question

• Was the British government justified in

passing laws to prevent the export of
industrial technology?
Agree w/British gov’t
actions

Disagree w/British
gov’t actions

Poll

Was Britain's government justified for passing laws to keep their industrial secrets?

• Yes, they are justified for protecting their industrial secrets

• No, they are not justified for trying to keep ideas that can help others get ahead too.