The Industrial Revolution in America is usually placed from the late 1700s through the early 1900s, with its core phase often dated roughly 1790–1900.

Quick Scoop: Key Dates

  • Early beginnings: Around the 1790s, with Samuel Slater’s water‑powered textile mill in Pawtucket, Rhode Island (often cited as the start in 1793).
  • First main phase: About 1790–1860, when textile mills, early factories, canals, and steamboats spread, especially in New England.
  • Second main phase: About 1860–1900 (sometimes extended to 1914/1920), with railroads, steel, electricity, and big corporations transforming industry and cities.

So if you’re answering “when was the Industrial Revolution in America” for a class or quick reference, the safe, short answer is:

It began in the 1790s and ran through the late 1800s, with major growth between about 1865 and 1900.

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