The Spinning Jenny: A Revolution in Textiles — Reading Comprehension

The Spinning Jenny was a machine that changed the way people made cloth. Before the Spinning Jenny, making thread was slow and hard work. People used spinning wheels and could only spin one thread at a time.

In 1764, a man named James Hargreaves invented the Spinning Jenny in England. He wanted to help his family spin more thread quickly. The Spinning Jenny let one person spin eight threads at once. Later, new models could spin even more threads. This made it much faster to make yarn for cloth.

Factories in England and America soon used the Spinning Jenny. Workers could now produce much more cloth. This helped start the Industrial Revolution. Many people left farms and moved to cities to work in factories. The Spinning Jenny made cloth cheaper and more people could buy clothes.

Some workers were afraid of losing their jobs. In England, a group called the Luddites broke machines to protest. But the machines kept spreading. Factory owners said, "The use of machines brings progress for all." The Spinning Jenny was one of the first big steps toward modern factories.

As the Spinning Jenny and other machines spread to the United States, cities grew. The new machines helped America become a country with many factories. Children and adults worked together in textile mills. The work was sometimes hard, but many families earned more money than before. Over time, laws would change to give workers more rights and safer jobs.

The Spinning Jenny showed how one idea could change the world. It led to more inventions, like the power loom. These changes made it possible for people to have more choices in clothing and jobs.

Interesting Fact: The name "Jenny" may have come from the word "engine" or may have been the name of Hargreaves's daughter.

Who invented the Spinning Jenny?

What year was the Spinning Jenny invented?

What did the Spinning Jenny help make?

Why did some workers protest the Spinning Jenny?

How did the Spinning Jenny change factories?

What happened after machines spread to the U.S.?

The Spinning Jenny was invented in America. True or false?

What is a textile?