Final answer:
Samuel Slater started the first American textile mill in Pawtucket, Rhode Island in 1793, which marked a significant development in the U.S. textile industry.
Step-by-step explanation:
In 1793, British immigrant Samuel Slater initiated the first American textile mill in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. With the financial backing of merchant Moses Brown, Slater used his knowledge of British textile machinery to build a factory that used water power to spin cotton into thread.
The success of Slater's mill was pivotal in the expansion of the textile industry in the United States, leading to the construction of additional mills and the establishment of mill villages like Slatersville.