Merritt Roe Smith's Books

Harpers Ferry Armory and the New Technology

The Challenge of Change

By: Merritt Roe Smith

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Harpers Ferry Armory and the New Technology

The Challenge of Change

By: Merritt Roe Smith

Focusing on the day-to-day operations of the U.S. armory at Harpers Ferry, Virginia, from 1798 to 1861, this book shows what the "new technology" of mechanized production meant in terms of organization, management, and worker morale. A local study of much more than local significance, it highlights the major problems of technical innovation and social adaptation in antebellum America. Merritt Roe Smith describes how positions of authority at the armory were tied to a larger network of political and economic influence in the community; how these relationships, in turn, affected managerial behavior; and how local social conditions reinforced the reactions of decision makers. He also demonstrates how craft traditions and variant attitudes toward work vis-à-vis New England created an atmosphere in which the machine was held suspect and inventive activity was hampered.Of central importance is the author's analysis of the drastic differences between Harpers Ferry and its counterpart, the national armory at Springfield, Massachusetts, which played a pivotal role in the emergence of the new technology. The flow of technical information between the two armories, he shows, moved in one direction only— north to south. "In the end," Smith concludes, "the stamina of local culture is paramount in explaining why the Harpers Ferry armory never really flourished as a center of technological innovation."Pointing up the complexities of industrial change, this account of the Harpers Ferry experience challenges the commonly held view that Americans have always been eagerly receptive to new technological advances.

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Page Count

372

Publisher

Cornell University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0801454395

ISBN 13

9780801454394

Harpers Ferry Armory and the New Technology

The Challenge of Change

By: Merritt Roe Smith

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

Harpers Ferry Armory and the New Technology

The Challenge of Change

By: Merritt Roe Smith

Focusing on the day-to-day operations of the U.S. armory at Harpers Ferry, Virginia, from 1798 to 1861, this book shows what the "new technology" of mechanized production meant in terms of organization, management, and worker morale. A local study of much more than local significance, it highlights the major problems of technical innovation and social adaptation in antebellum America. Merritt Roe Smith describes how positions of authority at the armory were tied to a larger network of political and economic influence in the community; how these relationships, in turn, affected managerial behavior; and how local social conditions reinforced the reactions of decision makers. He also demonstrates how craft traditions and variant attitudes toward work vis-à-vis New England created an atmosphere in which the machine was held suspect and inventive activity was hampered. Of central importance is the author's analysis of the drastic differences between Harpers Ferry and its counterpart, the national armory at Springfield, Massachusetts, which played a pivotal role in the emergence of the new technology. The flow of technical information between the two armories, he shows, moved in one direction only— north to south. "In the end," Smith concludes, "the stamina of local culture is paramount in explaining why the Harpers Ferry armory never really flourished as a center of technological innovation." Pointing up the complexities of industrial change, this account of the Harpers Ferry experience challenges the commonly held view that Americans have always been eagerly receptive to new technological advances.

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Page Count

363

Publisher

Cornell University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0801454409

ISBN 13

9780801454400

Inventing America

A History of the United States

By: Pauline Maier,Merritt Roe Smith,Alexander Keyssar,Stanley Woodward Professor of History and Law Daniel J Kevles

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Inventing America

A History of the United States

By: Pauline Maier,Merritt Roe Smith,Alexander Keyssar,Stanley Woodward Professor of History and Law Daniel J Kevles

Adopted at over 250 colleges and universities in its First Edition,Inventing America broke new ground by integrating thecultural, social, and political dimensions of the American storyaround the unifying theme of innovation?the pragmaticforward-looking direction of American history, the willingness ofAmericans to find new solutions in the face of challenge andchange. For the Second Edition, the authors have expanded andstrengthened the innovation theme and pared some supporting detailto create a more concise and effective teaching text.

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Publisher

W. W. Norton

Published Date

ISBN 10

039316814X

ISBN 13

9780393168143

Book's by Merritt Roe Smith

Harpers Ferry Armory and the New Technology

Harpers Ferry Armory and the New Technology

Harpers Ferry Armory and the New Technology

Harpers Ferry Armory and the New Technology

Inventing America

Inventing America

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