Who is known as the "Father of the factory system" for memorizing British machinery plans?

Samuel Slater is recognized as the "Father of the factory system" because he played a pivotal role in bringing the British concept of industrial manufacturing to the United States. After memorizing the designs of the machinery used in British textile mills, Slater emigrated to America and set up one of the first successful cotton spinning mills in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, in 1793. His ability to replicate these machines helped catalyze the American Industrial Revolution and laid the groundwork for the factory system, which emphasized centralized production under one roof.

This transformatively shifted production from small-scale, artisanal methods to more efficient, large-scale manufacturing processes, thereby changing the economic landscape of the United States. Slater's innovations in textile manufacturing marked a significant step in the development of industrial practices that would define the 19th century and beyond.