"Muskets for the use of the United States": Philadelphia's gunsmiths during the War for Independence

Abstract

There has been a long tradition of studying American-made firearms that have connections to the War for Independence. This thesis makes an important contribution to that body of scholarship by uniting analysis of the key artisans, their products, and working life experience to reveal the emerging nation’s abilities to produce arms. Focusing on the gunsmiths of Philadelphia has allowed for greater detail to be presented compared to previously published firearms collector encyclopedias and gunsmiths dictionaries. This thesis argues that Philadelphia’s concentration of craftsmen, skills, and craft knowledge and the presence of the Pennsylvania and Continental governments sustained the importance of the city’s gunsmiths in the production and maintenance of muskets and bayonets for the entirety of the War for Independence. The War and its supply demands changed and expanded work opportunities for Philadelphia’s gunsmiths and established long-term relationships between the smiths and the United States Government. In the cases of John Nicholson and Joseph Perkin, their work during the War led to their leadership in the Federal Armory system of the young nation.