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Exploring the Industrial Heritage of the Blackstone Valley and Narragansett Bay
While Americans gained political independence at the end of the Revolutionary War, true economic independence from Great Britain was achieved through a different historic movement: the Industrial Revolution. With the SIA’s 2004 33rd Annual Conference, attendees can experience the full sweep of America’s industrial movement from 18th century maritime mercantilism and pioneering manufacturing efforts to 19th century growth, 20th century decline, and -- in the city of Providence itself -- contemporary efforts at renewal in the post-industrial 21st century.
In the immediate years after the Revolutionary War, New England manufacturing was focused on fabricating goods and hardware for cargo and trade, supplying ship chandleries, and supporting a number of ship-building enterprises. The area’s agriculture supported sawmills, gristmills and required a trained workforce of mechanics, millwrights and smiths who were skilled in building and repairing machines.
As the 18th century came to a close, Rhode Island and Massachusetts nurtured a substantial number of small industries clustered around the Blackstone, the Pawtuxet and other local rivers, big and small. The abundant waterpower provided the energy needed for the forges and mills that supported both the maritime and agrarian economies, and planted the seeds for the technological advances of the Industrial Revolution.
That revolution found one of its first successes, and enduring symbols, with a skilled mechanic and English businessman named Samuel Slater. In 1790, Slater teamed up with Moses Brown and Pawtucket artisans including Oziel Wilkinson and Sylvanus Brown, to achieve cotton spinning by waterpowered machines. His work precipitated the development of manufacturing technology in America and the mill he built in 1793 is acknowledged as the country’s first true factory.
With the Slater Mill as our literal and figurative starting point, the 2004 SIA Conference will focus on manufacturing and industrialization of the Blackstone Valley and wider environs. Through bus tours, walking tours, and papers, we’ll explore the region’s heritage in iron, textiles, jewelry, mercantile technologies, and military technology (harbor defenses), plus a variety of miscellaneous industries and their supporting means of communication and transportation.
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- Registration, conference & tour materials will be available for pickup at the SIA Conference Registration desk at the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel. Please check at the conference registration desk upon arrival for any updates to the schedule.
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- The registration desk at the Marriott will be open
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- Thursday, June 10, 2004 from 8:00 AM - 6:15 PM;
- Friday, June 11, 2004 from 7:00 AM - 9:00 AM & from 5:00 PM - 7:15 PM
- and at the Rhode Island Convention Center on Saturday, June 12, 2004 from 7:15 AM - 8:45 AM; 10:00 AM-10:20 AM; 11:30 AM - 12:15 PM and at the Marriott Sat. from 5:15 PM - 6:00 PM.
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- Tours and Events, Thursday, June 10, 2004 to Sunday, June 13, 2003
- Conference Registration - Registration form to print and bring in-person to the Marriott
- Conference Headquarters and Hotel
- Travel Directions and Travel Discounts with American Airlines, Amtrak or Avis
- Travel Scholarships for full-time students and professionals with less than three years of experience
- Paper Sessions, Saturday, June 12, 2004
- One day Workshop, GIS for IA: An introduction to Geographic Information Systems
- More information contacts
The Society for Industrial Archeology thanks the Stonehill Industrial History Center (Stonehill College) and the Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission for their considerable contributions of time, talent, and resources toward the preparation of the 2004 Providence Conference.
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