After Samuel Slater's textile mill in Rhode Island became successful, the textile industry took off. The most famous textile mill was started by Francis Cabot Lowell in 1814.
Lowell created the Lowell System, which manufactured raw cotton to finished cloth, in the same building. Unlike the textile mills of the past, the entire process could now be completed under one roof! This was the first modern textile factory in America.
Lowell mostly employed young single women between the ages of 15 and 35 from surrounding farms. They were called the "Lowell Girls." The Lowell girls were paid decent wages (far less than men), but they worked long hours, sometimes 80 hours a week in grueling conditions.
Even though the work conditions were not great, many woman coveted the opportunity to have a job
Lowell's textile business was so successful that it led to the founding of an entire town called Lowell, Massachusetts. But Lowell didn't build family homes for his workers, he built boarding houses for single women. These boarding homes were strictly run, all of the girls were required to attend church and educational classes. If they didn't follow the rules they would be fired from their job and evicted from their homes.