Arkwright was an English inventor and a manufacturing pioneer. He developed a mechanical machine for spinning cotton, a process that was traditionally done in small homes and farms (see Industrial Revolution). He set up a water powered spinning factory in 1771 and used steam power to set up another factory in 1790. He was not liked by many traditional spinners who feared that their weaving skills would become unnessecary with the advent of the spinning frame. The new factories meant that cotton could now be spun at a very rapid rate, and this helped to jump start other innovations in the field of textiles.

More Information Blackburn Through the Ages Interesting information about a number of important Industrial Revolution inventors, as well as the cotton trade.