On March 28, 1908, manufacturers unveiled an early commercially produced electric washing machine, an event that illustrated the growing penetration of electric power into American households and the ongoing mechanization of domestic labor. The introduction did not instantaneously transform home life; rather, it represented one notable advance among several competing technologies—hand-cranked tubs, steam-powered machines, and later motorized agitators—that gradually reduced the physical burden of laundering. At the turn of the 20th century, electrification was expanding in U.S. cities and some towns, while rural areas remained largely without reliable electric service. Early ‘‘electric’’ washing machines were typically adaptations of existing wooden or metal tubs fitted with small electric motors to drive agitators or wringers. Manufacturers and inventors experimented with different drive mechanisms, tubs, and wringer designs; patents and trade literature from the period show a variety of forms rather than a single definitive model. Many early devices were sold by appliance firms and specialty companies that sought to market convenience and time savings to middle-class households. Practical adoption depended on several factors: the availability and cost of household electricity, the price and reliability of the machines, and cultural patterns around laundering, which often remained communal or labor-intensive. For many families—particularly those in rural areas or with limited income—the transition away from hand washing took years or decades. However, in electrified urban homes, electric washing machines gradually became more common through the 1910s and 1920s as manufacturers refined designs, improved safety, and lowered costs. The 1908 introduction helped accelerate innovation. Over subsequent decades, improvements such as enclosed electric motors, improved agitation systems, automatic timers, and spin-dry mechanisms transformed the appliance into the modern washing machine. The social effects were significant: as laundering became less time-consuming and physically demanding, household labor patterns shifted, contributing to broader changes in domestic work, gender roles, and family life—changes that unfolded unevenly across different communities. Historians note that pinpointing a single ‘‘first’’ electric washing machine is complicated by overlapping inventions, regional introductions, and competing claims by manufacturers and inventors. The 1908 date marks an important documented appearance of an electric model on the market, but it should be understood within a broader history of incremental technological development and uneven diffusion of electricity and appliances. Sources for this summary include contemporary trade publications, patent records, and secondary histories of household technology and electrification. Where specific brand or patent claims arise in historic advertisements or catalogs, researchers evaluate them against patent filing dates and product availability in different regions. In short, the 1908 introduction of an electric washing machine was a milestone in domestic technology, signaling the start of a longer transition from manual and steam-powered laundry methods to electrically driven household appliances that reshaped daily life over the 20th century.