38o CYRUS N. ANDERSON 



of commerce, such as the products of the farm, and that 

 England should furnish to the colonists all such manufac- 

 tured articles as might be needed or demanded by the colo- 

 nists. England's policy toward the colonists was expressed 

 by Sir William Pitt, when he said: "It is the destiny of 

 America to feed Great Britain, and the destiny of Great 

 Britain to clothe America." Lord Chatham said, "I would 

 not allow the colonists to make so much as a hob nail for 

 themselves." 



Laws were enacted by England prohibiting every species 

 of manufactures in the colonies. When the colonists began 

 to make iron and nails for their use, the house of commons 

 resolved that "none of the plantations should manufacture 

 iron nails of any kind out of any sows, pigs, whatsoever." 

 And the house of lords added, "No forge going by water, 

 or other works, should be erected in any of the plantations 

 for the making, working or converting of any sows, pigs, 

 or cast iron into bar or rod iron." 



By an act of 1750 the erection of buildings and mills 

 for making iron was prohibited. There were corresponding 

 restrictions imposed upon the colonies with respect to all 

 sorts of manufacturing arts. For instance, in 1684, Vir- 

 ginia passed an act encouraging the manufacture of the 

 textile fabrics which was annulled by parliament. The 

 condition of manufactures in the colonies has been well 

 set forth by Senator O. H. Piatt, of Connecticut, as follows: 



"Manufactures were practically unknown; there 



were no machines as we now understand the term; 



men knew how to plow and sow, hoe and chop, reap, mow 

 and cradle, break flax and hackle it, thresh with the flail, 

 winnow with the blanket or fan and to shell corn by hand. 

 The women knew how to spin, card, weave and knit. Mechan- 

 ical knowledge was monopolized by the blacksmith, the car- 

 penter, the millwright and the village tinker. Production 

 was a toilsome, weary task, limited by the capacity for mus- 

 cular endurance." 



It is probable that the first patent granted within the 

 limits of the United States was by the general court of the 

 colony of Massachusetts, under date of May 6, 1646, to one 



