This Day in History December 20, 1790

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Indeed an important day in history for the U.S.  It was on this date in 1790, that the first cotton mill opened.   The mill was located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, and it had water-powered machinery so that the cotton could be carded and spun.  In other words, the cotton was combed and untangled.  Then it was spun into yarn so that it could be made into ,material.  Before the Civil War, this was the most important industry in the U.S., and this particular mill was based on a British design.

For more information:
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/dec20.html
http://www.americaslibrary.gov/jb/nation/jb_nation_cotton_1.html