Revolution to Evolution

The hallmark of the Industrial Revolution featured advances in technology and came in two separate waves. New technology affected every part of daily life including the textile industry. In late 18th century England, newly invented machines spun cotton into thread, produced woven fabric in mass quantities and sewed clothing. Large textile mills sprung up all over England and eventually in America reducing the cost and increasing the availability of fabrics.

The second wave began in America in the 19th century. Steam powered engines drove all kinds of machinery from trains to the newly invented cotton gin. Factories sprung up and thanks to new communications systems, telegraphs and telephones, the factories began to flourish. Gradually, the economy evolved from an agricultural based one to a manufacturing based one and the middle class grew.