Slater, John, 1776-1843

John Slater was born in Belper, England, in 1776, the son of William Slater and Elizabeth Fox. His brother Samuel (1768-1835), a textile manufacturer, moved to the United States in 1789 and is credited as one of the pioneers of the American Industrial Revolution. John Slater joined his brother in Rhode Island in 1803 or 1804, where they established a mill in what would become the town of Slatersville. The Slater brothers became successful textile manufacturers and owned several mills in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. John Slater had at least two daughters, Eliza and Minerva, and a son, John Fox Slater (1815-1884). He died in 1843.

From the guide to the John Slater collection, Slater, John collection, 1808-1823, 1841-1843, (William L. Clements Library, University of Michigan)