Question

To what degree was american industrialization made possible by foreign contributions, such as immigration and stolen mill plans?

Answer 1

American Industrial Revolution happened in around second half of the 19th century. Developments are not entirely indigenous, as many foreign technologies were adopted and used in the country develop communications, transport, and manufacturing. The British-born Samuel Slater, credited as the "Father of the American Industrial Revolution". He stole designs of British textile looms be memorizing as much as he could (the guy basically grew up in the cotton mill) and replicating them in Rhode Island. Slater’s textile mill was the first one powered by water in the USA. Development of textile industry means more demand for agricultural fibers, and more demand for roads/railways/waterways needed to transfer the goods. Note that Slater is an immigrant and he started from a stolen foreign technology.