The history of Lowell, Massachusetts, is closely tied to its location along the Pawtucket Falls of the Merrimack River, from being an important fishing ground for the Pennacook tribe[1] to providing water power for the factories that formed the basis of the city's economy for a century. The city of Lowell was started in the 1820s as a money-making venture and social project referred to as "The Lowell Experiment", and quickly became the United States' largest textile center. However, within approximately a century, the decline and collapse of that industry in New England placed the city into a deep recession. Lowell's "rebirth", partially tied to Lowell National Historical Park, has made it a model for other former industrial towns, although the city continues to struggle with deindustrialization and suburbanization.
Lowell is considered the "Cradle of the American Industrial Revolution",[2] as it was the first large-scale factory town in the United States.
- ^ "Lowell History". lowell.com. Archived from the original on March 15, 2010.
- ^ Ridgley, Heidi (Spring 2009). "An Industrial Revolution". National Parks Magazine. American National Park Service. Archived from the original on March 22, 2011. Retrieved June 14, 2009.