Hannah Wilkinson Slater was born on December 15, 1774, in Smithfield, Rhode Island. She grew up in a large Quaker family that included her parents, Oziel and Lydia Wilkinson, three sisters, and six brothers. Hannah’s father, Oziel, was a skilled mechanic and business partner of Moses Brown, an industrialist in the area. Samuel Slater arrived in New York City in 1789, hoping to bring the English method of mechanized cotton spinning to the United States. Moses Brown, his future business partner, suggested he board with the Wilkinson family while working in Pawtucket. Hannah and Samuel first met while he boarded in Pawtucket. Slater was 21 years old, and Wilkinson was only 15 years old. According to Slater’s early biographer, George White, Hannah first laid eyes on Samuel when she peeked through a crack in a doorway. Samuel later stated it was love at first sight. Despite her Quaker parents’ reluctance to approve their daughter’s marriage to someone outside their faith community, Slater was determined to marry her. Samuel Slater and Hannah Wilkinson married on October 2nd, 1791. They had 10 children together, though 4 sadly died in infancy or early childhood. Hannah Wilkinson Slater also contributed to the growing textile industry in a remarkable way. In 1793, she saw some smooth yarn spun in one of her husband’s mills. She believed that this yarn could become something more. Wilkinson Slater decided to use a spinning wheel to spin this yarn into two-ply thread, and this thread proved to be a new and improved form of sewing thread. Later that year, Hannah Wilkinson Slater applied for a patent for her method of producing thread from cotton. Hannah was issued a patent under the name “Mrs. Samuel Slater.” Unfortunately, the United States Patent Office fire in 1836 destroyed thousands of records, including her patent. Without the patent, there is no way of proving its existence beyond a doubt. Despite this, Hannah Wilkinson Slater is believed by many to be the first American woman to obtain a patent. Her innovation improved the quality and durability of textiles at a crucial time in the nation’s early industrial history. Hannah Wilkinson Slater passed away in 1812 from complications of childbirth, just two weeks after the birth of her last child. She was buried in Pawtucket at Mineral Spring Cemetery, along with other members of the Slater family. Her life and innovation are a pivotal part of the story of early industrialization in the Blackstone Valley. 
NPS/Furciniti People, Places, and Stories
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Last updated: May 14, 2025