Why did our nation's first factories start in the Northeast?

So to answer this, there's a bit of historical context needed.

First, the Northeast was the location for the New England colony. They were made up of primarily Puritan families leaving England to break away from the corrupted church. What they held dearest was religion and education.

The Chesapeake (Virginia, South in general) was settled by primarily men & slaves for the sole purpose of taking the land for whatever it had. They weren't concerned with education beyond the basics, and even that was a stretch because it took time away from cultivating the land.

The North had a better advantage because they were ahead educationally, so there was more opportunity for technological advances. In addition, the North's creation of factories made for a symbiotic relationship with the South. The South had the materials, and the North had the equipment to make something of it in large quantities and quickly.