“Samuel Slater – Hero or Traitor?” is a local historical project about a man dubbed by President Andrew Jackson the ‘Father of American Manufactures’, but who is virtually unknown in the land of his birth.
Born in Belper, Derbyshire in 1768, Samuel Slater was apprenticed at the age of fourteen and a half to Jedidiah Strutt (formerly a partner with Richard Arkwright and Samuel Need in the cotton spinning trade). Employed by Strutt in his mills at Milford and Belper, Slater learned the art of cotton spinning and gained knowledge of machinery and mill construction.
Mr Strutt's Cotton Mill at Milford
1787. Water Colour by Zachariah Boreman Permission requested from Derby Museum
and Art Gallery.
In 1789, he absconded to the USA, disguised as a farm labourer. This was to evade a law banning the emigration of those who might have information useful to Britain's commercial rivals.
Not long after his arrival in Pawtucket, New England, Samuel set up a cotton mill, in partnership with Almy and Brown. (Samuel’s contribution to the partnership was knowledge not cash). As a result, he became known as ‘Slater the Traitor’ amongst cotton trade workers of the Belper area, who feared losing their livelihood to foreign competitors
Maypole Promotions first presented the idea of a book and film about Samuel Slater at a public meeting in Belper, early in 2005. The project included researching, writing, acting, designing, costume and prop making, music, and film production, with nearly 200 people of all ages and experience involved. The re-creation of 18th century Derbyshire was a tough challenge on a low budget, and many volunteers have helped to produce a fantastic factual book and 25-minute film, most of it shot in the Derwent Valley World Heritage Site.
A team of local researchers pooled information from many sources to bring to light the history of the Slater family, their daily lives and their work in the Derwent Valley during the latter part of the 18th century, in the early days of the Industrial Revolution. The book documents this historical research and was published in 2006.
Maypole Promotions is a community group based in Milford, with a long and successful record of producing excellent arts projects including a Millennium Snapshot Exhibition, the Milford ‘Milestones’ book, and annual May Day Celebrations with Well Dressings.
This exciting project has been made possible through the Heritage Lottery Fund, Nationwide Building Society and the Countryside Agency with a grant from the Local Heritage Initiative.