Why was the lowell system an important u. s. industrial innovation in the early 19th century? a. it proved that if workers were paid higher wages, they would be more productive and increase a company’s profits. b. it introduced a successful labor model in which employees were housed near the factories where all steps of manufacturing were completed. c. it made machines that were powered by steam engines more affordable, allowing factories to be built away from sources of running water. d. it simplified the digging of longer canals, greatly reducing the time it took to ship goods across the world.