Forge of Innovation

The Springfield Armory holds a legendary status as the nation’s preeminent small arms factory, shaping American defense for nearly two centuries. While many fine books have explored parts of its 174-year run, none have captured the National Armory in its entirety—until now.

Written by a team of prominent industrial historians, Forge of Innovation: An Industrial History of the Springfield Armory, 1794-1968 combines archival records and modern scholarship to detail the location’s manufacturing, storage, repair, testing, and development as assigned by the United States Armory. From its secret Revolutionary War origins to its transformation during the Industrial Revolution, and beyond, this book is the definitive account of an American industry.

You’ll learn...

• How George Washington and Henry Knox strategically chose Springfield in 1777 to secretly store ammunitions from the British.
• How the Armory mass-produce muskets, later pioneering the game-changing technology of interchangeable parts.
• About the Armory's mid-20th-century weapon developments, its 1974 transition to the National Park Service, and its role today as a historic site.
• About the Main Arsenal Building, home to the world’s largest collection of small arms and the iconic “Organ of Muskets” display.

Product Details

• Historical nonfiction including historical photographs
• 366 pages, perfect bound, 8” x 10”
• Text by Carolyn C. Cooper, Robert B. Gordon, Patrick M. Malone, and Michael S. Raber. Edited by Richard Colton.
• Printed in USA, published by Eastern National for Springfield Armory National Historic Site