Francis Cabot Lowell revolutionized the early stages of industrialization in the United States, with his vision of an entire community involved in textile production. Upon returning from a trip to England to observe the Lanchashire cotton mills, Lowell was inspired to create a system of textile mills. The shameful working conditions of the English textile mills motivated Lowell to develop a "paternalistic" working environment of caring for the workers. This setting would attempt to care for the workers while governing their moral reputations. Lowell passed away in 1817 before he was able to see his vision become a reality. The Boston Associates carried on the ideas of Francis Cabot Lowell and opened the first mills in 1823.

Women between the ages of fifteen and thirty-five were recruited to work at the mills. The majority of the women came from farming households. The protective setting, promised by the mill agents, alleviated the parents’ fears of letting their daughters leave the farms. The Lowell Mills management offered cash wages, company run boarding houses and cultural events for the women. The women agreed to a strict set of rules including church attendance and curfews. In the 1800’s, job options were limited for women and the Lowell Mills offered them the opportunity to become money earning rather than a money-saving part of the family. The social and technological innovation of Lowell became known as the "Golden Experiment."