THE METAL THAT BUILT AMERICA

Gordon, Robert B.

American Iron, 1607–1900 [Johns Hopkins Studies in the History of Technology]

Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2001.
THE METAL THAT BUILT A NATION.
Before steel dominated industry, iron powered America's farms, railroads, factories, and expansion.

Robert B. Gordon's landmark study traces the development of the American iron industry from the earliest colonial furnaces to the dawn of the twentieth century. More than a history of manufacturing, the book examines the technological innovations, labor systems, transportation networks, and natural resources that transformed iron production into one of the foundations of American industrial growth.

Drawing upon archaeology, engineering, economic history, and material culture, Gordon presents a comprehensive account of ironmaking techniques, regional production centers, charcoal and coke technologies, and the industry's relationship to westward expansion and industrialization. Richly illustrated with photographs, maps, and technical drawings, the volume remains an important resource for historians of technology, industry, and early American enterprise.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Publisher's illustrated softcover. Measures approximately 10 inches tall. 341 pages with index. Illustrated throughout with black-and-white photographs, maps, diagrams, and technical drawings.

CONDITION: New. No flaws or blemishes. Gift Quality. Bindings are tight and secure. Text is clean; light, even age-toning.

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE —
The American iron industry was central to the nation's economic and industrial development for nearly three centuries. Gordon's study is widely regarded as one of the most significant modern surveys of the subject, documenting the transition from small colonial furnaces to the large-scale industrial operations that supplied railroads, machinery, bridges, and infrastructure during the nineteenth century. The work occupies an important place in the study of industrial archaeology and the history of technology.

SUBJECTS: American Iron Industry; Industrial Revolution; History of Technology; Industrial Archaeology; Early American Industry; Iron Manufacturing; Metallurgy; Economic Development, Industrial History; History of Technology; Economic History.

Item #22094
ISBN: 0801868165

Price: $34.00