A slice of American history. Essay on America's first industrial city

I wrote an essay on Spunky Seniors blog about America’s first industrial city, Paterson, NJ. When you think of Paterson, NJ today do visions of a crime ridden, derelict city pop into your mind?

Paterson was not always like that when it was founded as America’s first industrial city.  As time progressed it became a Mecca for entrepreneurs such as Samuel Colt whose six shooter tamed the west, John Holland who tested the first practical submarine in the Passaic river, and  the capital of silk production in the United States, competing successfully with Lyon, France, the European silk capital.

The essay begins:  In 1791 Alexander Hamilton stood on the bluffs that overlooked the Passaic River’s great waterfall, and envisioned a mighty industrial city.  He prophesied that the only way his new country could be truly independent from England and Europe was to develop its own resources and industry…

Click on the link below to read about a slice of American history that is little written about in history books, how Hamilton’s vision came alive, how the city became a den of corruption, how wealthy silk merchants exploited their immigrant laborers, and how the laborers fought back.  You won’t be disappointed.

http://spunkyseniors.blogspot.com/2012/10/spunky-senior-author-rich...

Richard Brawer

www.silklegacy.com