Why is Samuel Slater an important figure in the history of technology in the

United States?

A.) His mechanical reaper allowed grain farmers to harvest their crops much more quickly

B.) He designed spinning machines that spurred the growth of factory towns and textile

mills in New England.

C.) His telegraph machine made it possible to transmit messages almost instantly across wire.

D.) He invented the cotton gin, which made cotton farming profitable

B.) He designed spinning machines that spurred the growth of factory towns and textile

The correct answer is B. He designed spinning machines that spurred the growth of factory towns and textile mills in New England.

Explanation

Samuel Slater was a well-known English businessman who stood out for his contribution to industrialization in the United States, due to the fact that in his youth he worked as an apprentice of textile machinery (spinning machines) operator and which allowed him to get to know them in depth. Later, tired of his situation as an operator, he became aware of the difficulty of ascending socially in English society, so he decided to travel to the United States in 1789. Slater considered that his knowledge of textile machinery was his great wealth, so in the United States he contacted the Browns. Later in the year 1793, Slater, working from memory, built the first spinning machines in New England. So, the correct answer is B. He designed spinning machines that spurred the grwoth of factory towns and textile mills in New England.