MassachusettsHISTORY EXPLORERS GRADES 3–8
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Quick glossary
evidence
Information from a source that helps us test a claim.
source
A document, object, image, or account we can examine.
inference
An explanation based on clues; it still needs checking.
migration
Moving from one place to another to live.
immigrant
A person who moves to another country to live.
estimate
An approximate amount, based on available information.
oral history
A recorded interview about someone’s memories and experiences.
community
People connected by a place, relationships, or shared activities.
ancestry
Family origins across generations.
primary source
Evidence created by someone who experienced a time or event.

Waltham’s textile factory

Choose a PDF, read on screen, and try the word game.

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All four include an image, vocabulary, comprehension questions, a follow-up reading, and teacher guidance. These English PDFs have selectable text; use the reading below for adjustable text and listening tools.

Read on this page

Modern topic illustration created for Massachusetts History Explorers. It is not a historical artifact.
Modern topic illustration created for Massachusetts History Explorers. It is not a historical artifact.

Words to know

industry
work that makes goods or provides services
labor
work done by people
power
the ability to make something happen

The Boston Manufacturing Company was formed in 1813. Its Waltham mill began operating in 1814. Machines and workers turned cotton into cloth. A river helped supply power. Factory work changed communities.

Talk about the reading

What happened? Point to a detail that supports your answer. What does the picture help you understand? What would you like to investigate next?

Follow-up: The Granite Railway

A railway opened in Quincy to move heavy granite. Stone traveled toward the Bunker Hill Monument project. Rails made moving loads easier. This was an early commercial railroad in the United States.

How are the two events connected or different? Their order does not prove that one caused the other.

Read the follow-up event →

Word match: use the reading

Select a word, then select its meaning. You can use a keyboard or tap. Read the word bank if you need a clue.

Choose a word to begin.

Check the evidence

Research source for this event ↗

Original site illustration. Image source and rights ↗

Historical images, later portraits, reconstructions, and modern topic illustrations are identified in their captions. They are different kinds of evidence.

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