PREFACE. HE present work was projected by the author several years ago, and is THE now given to the public in the belief that it will prove really useful, inasmuch as nothing worthy of the name has appeared, while the field itself is quite as deserving of study as any other portion or phase of American history. A great variety of materials have been collected and used in the present undertaking many facts, also, have been gathered from conversation with persons who were more or less familiar with some special branch of American industry. The author has sought to make proper acknowledgment for all facts and incidents herein related, though doubtless he has failed to do justice to every work and author from whom special information has been. drawn. On page 56 he omitted to state that the statistics relating to shipments of cotton were taken from Mr. Dana's valuable work entitled "Cotton from Seed to Loom;" while it ought to be mentioned, that, in the introductory chapter, free use has been made of the short but excellent sketches of Ben: Perley Poore and Charles L. Flint of the History of Agriculture contained in the United-States Agricultural Reports, as well as the paper of the latter on American Horses which is to be found in the same publication. Likewise, in describing the Pittsburgh riots of 1877, liberal use was made of the message of Gov. Hartranft, which contained a very concise and truthful account of that shocking affair. Nor would I fail to express my very great indebtedness to Henry Hall of "The New-York Tribune," and James Hall of Norwich, Conn., without whose assistance the preparation of this work for the press would have been much longer delayed. To Mr. C. A. Cutter, Librarian of the Boston Athenæum, my sincerest thanks are due, and are hereby tendered, for the exceedingly liberal use of the books of that institution; and also to the Librarian of the Boston Public Library for special privileges of a similar character. I would further add my obligations to the Librarian of the Astor Library for the privilege of consulting to my best advantage the treasures of that collection. The aids thus obtained from these three noble institutions were invaluable: indeed, without them, it would have been impossible for the author to have executed the present work. NORWICH, CONN., Oct. 15, 1878. TABLE OF CONTENTS. Introductory. Indian Agriculture. - Colonial Agriculture in the Southern Colonies. - Colo- nial Agriculture in the New-England Colonies. - French Colonial Agriculture. - Effects of American Revolution. - Causes of Progress in Agriculture. -Homestead Laws. - Agricultural Societies. - Granger Movement. - Agricultural Education and Literature. Early History. Forty Years of Repression and Struggle. - The Effect of Tariffs. - The Era of Anthracite Fuel and the Hot Blast. - The Growth of Rolling-Mills. - Influence of Paris Exposition on American Iron-Manufacture. -The Manufacture of Steel. Nails. Cutlery. Clocks and Watches. Iron Pipes and Tubes. -Locomotives. -Sewing- Machines. - Fire-Arms. - Iron-working Machinery. - Axes and Saws. - Stoves. - Safes. - Iron Bridges. - Printing-Presses. - Wire. - Water-Wheels. — Locks. — Pumps. Coinage. Jewelry. Gold and Silver Leaf. Silver Table-Ware. - Copper and Brass Uten- sils. - Bronze Ware and Statuary. — Bells. — Lead-Manufactures. Stereotyping. - |