English Background.

In 1769 British inventor Sir Richard Arkwright devised a mechanized system for spinning cotton into yarn, using multiple spindles. Since this machine was soon adapted to be driven by waterpower, it became known as the "water frame." The frames were connected by pulleys and gears to a large wooden wheel, which was turned by water rushing through a channel. This adaptation brought about a monumental change in the efficiency of work: powerful natural forces could be harnessed to do the work of many animals or men. The water frame, unlike its predecessor, the "spinning jenny," was too large to fit in a worker's cottage, and it required a source of moving water. As a result textile production began a transition from a cottage industry to a factory system. With these innovations England completely dominated the world textile market. Having lost the American colonies, the British government...