Textile Mill System in New England: Lowell and Beyond (1810–1860)

1. Boston Manufacturing Company organized at Waltham

   Jan 1, 1813Labels: Boston Manufacturing, Francis C, Waltham

   • NPS NHL
   • Britannica

2. First Waltham integrated mill begins operating

   Jan 1, 1814Labels: Waltham Mill, mechanized spinning, water power

   • Britannica
   • NPS NHL

3. Tariff of 1816 boosts U.S. cotton textiles

   Apr 27, 1816Labels: Tariff of, U S

   • Senate Hist
   • Britannica

4. Boston Associates target Pawtucket Falls site

   Jan 1, 1821Labels: Pawtucket Falls, Boston Associates

   • NPS Lowell
   • Lowell NHP

5. Merrimack Manufacturing Company breaks ground

   Jan 1, 1822Labels: Merrimack Manufacturing, canal infrastructure

   • NPS Lowell
   • Lowell NHP

6. Merrimack Manufacturing begins operations in Lowell

   Jan 1, 1823Labels: Merrimack Manufacturing, Lowell

   • NPS Lowell
   • Britannica

7. Lowell is incorporated as a town

   Mar 1, 1826Labels: Lowell, Massachusetts

   • NPS Lowell
   • Mass Gov

8. Lowell mill girls protest wage cuts (1834)

   Oct 1, 1834Labels: Lowell mill, wage protest

   • NPS Lowell
   • NPS Lowell

9. Lowell mill girls mount “turn-out” (1836)

   Feb 1, 1836Labels: Turn-out 1836, Lowell workers

   • NPS Lowell
   • NPS Lowell

10. Lowell becomes a Massachusetts city

    Apr 1, 1836Labels: Lowell, city charter

    • NPS Lowell
    • Britannica

11. The Lowell Offering begins publication

    Jan 1, 1840Labels: The Lowell, women writers

    • Lowell Offering
    • HathiTrust

12. Lowell system strains under workforce turnover and “stretch-outs”

    Jan 1, 1844Labels: Lowell system, workforce turnover

    • NPS Lowell
    • NPS Lowell

13. Lowell Female Labor Reform Association founded

    Jan 1, 1845Labels: Lowell Female, women organizers

    • NPS Lowell
    • NPS Lowell

14. Essex Company promotes planned mill city of Lawrence

    Jan 1, 1845Labels: Essex Company, Lawrence

    • Britannica
    • Lawrence Hist

15. Ten-hour petition prompts Massachusetts legislative report

    Mar 12, 1845Labels: Ten-hour petition, Massachusetts House

    • IndRev org
    • NPS Lowell

16. Northern Canal expands Lowell waterpower capacity

    Jan 1, 1847Labels: Northern Canal, Lowell waterpower

    • NPS Lowell
    • NPS Lowell

17. Lawrence incorporated as a town

    Jan 1, 1847Labels: Lawrence, planned mill

    • Britannica
    • Lawrence Hist

18. Textile mill system shifts toward larger regional networks

    Jan 1, 1850Labels: Regional mill, Lowell and

    • Britannica
    • Britannica

19. Lowell’s early model faces intensifying competition

    Jan 1, 1855Labels: Lowell model, competition

    • NPS Lowell
    • NPS Lowell

20. Approaching Civil War era reshapes textile markets

    Jan 1, 1860Labels: Civil War, textile markets

    • NPS Lowell
    • Britannica