Samuel Slater: The Father of the American Factory System — Reading Comprehension

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Grades

Standards

D2.HIS.2.3-5
D2.HIS.3.3-5
RI.4.3
RI.4.4
RI.4.7
W.4.2

About This Reader

This engaging U.S. history reading passage introduces students to Samuel Slater, known as the 'Father of the American Factory System.' The passage follows Slater's journey from England to America and explains how his skills helped start the first successful textile mill in the United States. Students will learn how Slater’s work changed the way goods were made and how it affected families and communities. The resource features a glossary, timeline, multiple-choice quiz, writing activities, and graphic organizers to support comprehension. Aligned with C3 and Common Core ELA standards, this passage is perfect for building literacy and history knowledge. It also includes a Spanish translation and read aloud audio to support all learners. Useful keywords include Samuel Slater, factory system, Industrial Revolution, textile mills, and U.S. history. Great for classroom or independent study.

CONTENT PREVIEW

Samuel Slater helped change the way people made things in America. He was born in England in 1768. As a boy, he worked in a cotton mill. There, he learned how machines could spin cotton into thread much faster than hands alone.

In England, it was against the law to share plans for these machines. The government wanted to keep their factories special. But Samuel Slater had a dream. He wanted to build similar factories in America. In 1789, he left England in secret. He did not carry any written plans. Instead, he remembered every detail in his mind.

Slater arrived in the United States in 1789. He met Moses Brown, a businessman in Rhode Island. Brown wanted to build a cotton mill but did not know how. Slater said, "If I do not make as good yarn as they do in England, I will have nothing for my trouble." He worked hard with Brown and his workers. Together, they built the first successful cotton spinning mill in America in 1793.

This mill used water power to turn the machines. The spinning machines made thread quickly and easily. Soon, more mills were built in other towns. Many people found jobs at these mills. Families sometimes worked together. Children and adults all helped. Towns near rivers grew larger because more factories were built there.

Samuel Slater became known as the "Father of the American Factory System." He showed that machines and teamwork could make goods faster. This started the Industrial Revolution in America. Life changed for many people. People moved from farms to towns for work. New inventions and businesses followed. America became a country where many goods could be made quickly in factories.

Interesting Fact: Samuel Slater’s first mill is now a museum in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. It still stands today for people to visit and learn about the start of American industry.

Who is Samuel Slater?

Father of the American Factory SystemFirst U.S. presidentFamous inventor of the carExplorer of the West

Where did Slater build his first mill?

Rhode IslandNew YorkEnglandTexas

In what year did Slater arrive in America?

1789179317681800

Why did Slater leave England in secret?

Sharing machine plans was illegalHe wanted to be a sailorHe was sent by the kingHe lost his job

What did Slater’s mills use for power?

WaterSteamWindElectricity

How did mills change towns?

Towns grew larger near riversFarms replaced townsTowns disappearedFewer people found jobs