1720?-1778

English Inventor

James Hargreaves, a relatively obscure figure in history, impacted the world with his influential invention. It was this innovation that made him a key contributor in the journey toward the Industrial Revolution, which began in Great Britain in the late 1700s. Hargreaves's Spinning Jenny changed the face of textile manufacturing.

Although little is known about his life, he was most likely born in Blackburn, Lancashire, England. Hargreaves was never formally educated and remained illiterate throughout his life.

Hargreaves learned the spinning trade as a boy, when he also worked as a carpenter. By the 1760s, Hargreaves had moved to the nearby village of Standhill. He worked as a spinner in his home, where he was proprietor of his own spinning wheel and loom.

During his time, Hargreaves's home of Lancashire was a center for England's production of cotton goods. However, as the Industrial...