ss the general course of human affairs were
revolutionized.

_The United States._--The machine-cotton industry was carried to North
America almost as soon as it evolved in England. Models of Arkwright's
machines were smuggled across the Atlantic in 1786--Arkwright's first
mill had not been started in England until 1769--and these with a jenny
and stock-card were publicly exhibited. From these models a great mass
of machinery was soon constructed. The first mill was erected in 1788
(that of the Beverly Association), the second appeared in 1790, the
third five years later, and in 1798 Samuel Slater started with some of
his wife's relatives the first mill in which the principle of the
water-frame was carried throughout. It is said that it was not until
1814 that power-loom manufacturing was commenced, but in England success
with the power-loom was long delayed. As early as 1831, however, there
were in the United States--mainly in the New England states--800
factories, a million and a quarter spindles, 33,500 looms and 62,200
operatives. At this time the annual consumption of cotton was about
77,000,000 lb. as compared with some 300,000,000 lb. in England at the
same date, and 2,000,000,000 approximately in the United States at the
present time.[47] Writing in 1840, James Montgomery said that, in
respect of cost of production, the American industry was 19% behind that
of England apart from the cost of raw material, which was then a good
deal less to the Americans. In 1878, when there was much interest in the
question of British efficiency in the cotton industry because the
passage of the Factory Act of 1874 had cut down the working hours, the
_Economist_ contrasted the result of twenty-five years' growth in
England and America:--

"In 1853 the average English production per weaver of 8-1/4 lb. shirting
was 825 yds. per week of sixty hours. In 1878 the working hours had
fallen to fifty-seven, and the production had risen to 975 yds. An
increased production of 23% is thus due to improvement in the
processes of manufacture. In 1865 there were 24,151 persons employed
in Massachusetts in the production of cotton goods, and they produced
175,000,000 yds. In 1875 the operatives numbered 60,176, and their
product was 874,000,000 yds. The operatives had increased 150% and
their products had increased 500%. The increase of production due to
improved methods was thus in England 23%, and in Massachusetts 100%. I