What was the Lowell System?

The Lowell System was the first example of major factories
in the United States.  The system employed mostly young women in large factories making
textiles.

Before the Lowell System took hold, most
commercial textile production had been done via the "putting-out" system.  In this
system, raw materials would be given out to individuals who would work on them in their
own homes.  For example, thread might be given out to a number of individuals who would
weave the thread into cloth in their own homes ( href="http://books.google.com/books?id=8NS0OTXRlTMC&pg=PA135&lpg=PA135&dq=men+wove+cloth+in+early+america&source=bl&ots=-jIZMZyk_U&sig=mDduFHhfeaZfkdVp7KSwBLnRVAk&hl=en&ei=8FmXTee5LcHngQeaprDLCA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=8&ved=0CE4Q6AEwBw#v=onepage&q=Pennsylvania%20men%20wove%20cloth&f=false">men
wove cloth, but weaving became a woman's job too).  They would then bring the finished
product to the owners who had given them the thread.

The
Lowell System moved towards a modern manufacturing system.  Instead of putting out
thread or other raw material, the Lowell System had all of the work done in one place. 
This was the beginning of industrialization in the US.