The Invention of Industry: The American System

"Learn about the central role of the Springfield Armory and other Connecticut River Valley metals manufacturers in the rise of American industry from 1795 to the Civil War. Explore the museum’s collection of industrial output and technology."

With: Bruce Laurie, Professor of History, UMASS-Amherst
          Rich Colton, Historian, Springfield Armory National Historic Site 
Held: March 10, 2007
           Springfield Armory National Historic Site, Springfield, MA

Primary Sources

• Excerpt, United States Census of 1850 (Look for Armory superintendent James Ripley.)
• Rules & Regulations for the Workshops of the U.S. Armory (1853)
• Massachusetts Bureau of the Statistics of Labor, "Condition of Working Men’s Families" (1875)      
               Page 251
               Page 254-255
               Page 256-257
               Page 260-261
               Page 284-285
               Page 308-309

Secondary Resources

•  Discussion Outline, created by Bruce Laurie

Web Resources

• Forge of Innovation: The Industrialization of the Springfield Armory, 1812-1875
  The Springfield Armory National Historic Site, in partnership with local teachers and the Center for Educational Software Development, has created a multi-media web site on this period of industrial development at the Armory and on its satellite suppliers.