Iron Manufacturing Activity in America Colonial and Revolutionary Period
Iron production in the US dates back to the colonial era where iron production was still low and there were no iron producing industries then. It was in 1771 when a few tons of iron were being supplied to the country and the factories were few. The revolutionary brought about the need to produce more iron in the country. Iron is extracted from iron ore which is smelted then blown with air. It is then cleaned of any impurities and carbon to ensure it is good for use. Iron was the booming industry in the US since it is a much easier metal to make than extracting steel. Back in 1647 was the first iron works in the US referred to as the Hammersmith which were not in operation for long. Other subsequent iron manufacturers were erected near to the ore suppliers and near the transport ways (High Beam Research, Para 1). The iron manufacturing areas were in colonial America, eastern Pennsylvania near the Delaware River, western Pennsylvania around the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers, and the Hudson River valley in New York and New Jersey. Most of the industries producing iron did not manage to develop and were tiny since the cost of fuel needed to run their furnaces was high. Another reason for their lack of development was the fact that there was a low efficiency in the supply of fuel. The production of iron was made difficult by these factors hindering the iron firms from developing further. The American government was using charcoal and wood to run the furnaces in the iron firms which slowed the operations. The need to change the fuel into something more efficient arose as they needed to increase their efficiency. The American government then identified a lot of iron deposits on the northern great lakes area in 1840s which increased their production that was already performing well due to the change in the fuel used. In the nineteenth century, the American government expanded the production of iron. The iron manufacturing firms had widely adopted the puddling technique of iron making which boosted the growth of the iron production. Before this technique was adopted, the craftsmen were using fining as a method of iron extraction. Fining involved the separation of iron and slag by hammering while puddling on the other hand was addition of iron oxide to the mixture while still on the furnace. This addition of iron oxide to the mixture made it easy to separate all the impurities in iron. Puddling involved certain steps that one needed to undergo training to be a puddler which later gave them the ability of becoming owners. The techniques of iron manufacturing were first used in Great Britain which enabled it to be adopted by the American government to boost their own production of iron. With time, the American iron manufacturers were able to come up with their own techniques which were inspired by the kind of fuel they were using and even the amount and the quality of iron they were manufacturing. The traditional techniques of iron manufacturing continued until 1930 when iron production was automated. The 19th century led to the breakthrough of iron production as iron was used to make several things. Iron was used to make things such as the cannons and gun parts. The use of the iron to make machinery meant increased production in the sector. Iron was also used to make the railroads, which were using high quality rails that had been made using techniques inspired by the Britons. John Fritz's Cambria Iron Works in Johnstown, Pennsylvania,
formulated a new method that automated the manufacturing of the rails used to make the railroads making the industry productivity to perform well for two decades. The manufacturing of iron continued for the decades until presently. Iron was being produced from the rich ores but due to the time that has elapsed, iron deposits have been depleted and the hematite ores are no longer there. Manufacturing of iron now involves treating the remaining amount of ore deposit to increase their quality. The process of treating the remaining iron ores to improve its quality is called beneficiation and is done in a blast furnace. After the process of beneficiation and Bessemer process, the pig iron is produced and molded into blocks called pigs. The pig iron is then further processed to produce the cast iron. In the process also, the pig iron is purified of all its impurities to make the wrought iron. Iron manufacturing in the United States of America dates way back before the 19th century. Iron is among the key propellers of the American economy as it led to the production of rails which were used to make the railroads. The rail roads are then used to transport all the necessary materials for development. Iron manufacturing gave way for other industries to come up and even brought about job opportunities in the country.
Works cited:
High Beam Research. Iron and Steel Industry. 2011. Retrieved February 22, 2011 from http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Iron_industry.aspx
