A New Order of Things: How the Textile Industry Transformed New England

by Paul E. Rivard

A lavishly-illustrated social history of the manufacture that did most to transform the character of New England and of America.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

172 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2002

Reviews

[Elizabeth · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book supposedly offers a “vast overview of the rise and collapse of an industry that forced New England into a modern age” (aka the industrialization of the textile industry and invention of modern capitalism) yet does not mention slavery ONCE. A book all about the cotton industry among other textiles in the 19th century conveniently forgot to address one of the most key aspects of its development. Also seems to take a very strange pro factory owner and child labor stance???

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can tell Mr Rivard is a museum curator, this book is structured like an exhibit catalogue. Lots of visuals and a 10,000 foot overview. But I still liked it because the New England textile industry employed two or three generations of my ancestors, between the mill work and the machine shops needed to support the mills, so I really want to know about this topic. For more details about the work of my great grandmother the woolen mill weaver, my grandfather the carding room foreman, or my uncle who worked at a loom company, I will have to look elsewhere. This was only an introduction.