BFW Revisited: Origins of American Manufacturing

Ben Franklin's World

Liz Covart

Earlyrepublic, History, Benfranklin, Society & Culture, Warforindependence, Earlyamericanrepublic, Earlyamericanhistory, Education, Colonialamerica, Americanrevolution, Ushistory, Benjaminfranklin

4.6 • 1.5K Ratings

🗓️ 30 September 2025

⏱️ 63 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

When we picture the early United States, we often imagine a young nation fighting for political independence. But what about economic independence—and what did it take to achieve it? Historian Lindsay Schakenbach Regele of Miami University in Ohio joins us to explore how manufacturing became central to the nation's post-Revolution identity. Drawing from her book Manufacturing Advantage: War, the State, and the Origins of American Industry, 1776–1848, Lindsay reveals how the federal government championed industries like firearms and textiles as tools of sovereignty, security, and self-reliance. Tune in to discover: Why early leaders saw manufacturing as essential to independence. 2. How state-sponsored factories shaped key sectors like arms and textiles. 3. How these efforts laid the foundation for America’s industrial and social transformation This episode sheds light on the surprising role of government in jumpstarting the U.S. economy. Lindsay’s Website | Book |Show Notes: https://www.benfranklinsworld.com/298 RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODES🎧 Episode 098: Birth of the American Tax Man🎧 Episode 113: Building the Empire State🎧 Episode 140: Nathaniel Bowditch🎧 Episode 281: The Business of Slavery🎧 Episode 292: Craft SUPPORT OUR WORK🎁 Make a Donation to Ben Franklin’s WorldREQUEST A TOPIC📨 Topic Request Form📫 [email protected] YOU'RE READY🗞️ BFW Gazette Newsletter 👩‍💻 Join the BFW Listener CommunityLISTEN 🎧🍎 Apple Podcasts 💚 Spotify 🎶 Amazon Music🛜 PandoraCONNECT🦋 Liz on Bluesky👩‍💻 Liz on LinkedIn🛜 Liz’s WebsiteSAY THANKS💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts💚 Leave a rating on Spotify*Book links are affiliate links. Every purchase supports the podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello, this is Matt from the Explorers podcast. I want to invite you to join me on the voyages and journeys of the most famous explorers in the history of the world. These are the thrilling and captivating stories of Vigelin, Shackleton, Lewis, and Clark, and so many other famous and not so famous adventures from throughout history.
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1:04.6	You're listening to an Airwave Media podcast.
1:20.7	Music Media Podcast. Hello, and welcome to Ben Franklin's World Revisited, a series of classic episodes that bring fresh perspective to our latest episodes and had deeper connections
1:25.2	to our understanding of early American history.
1:28.1	And I'm your host, Liz Covart.
1:30.8	When we think about the early United States, we often imagine a young nation striving for
1:35.7	its independence, politically and economically.
1:39.1	But what did economic independence actually require?
1:43.2	In this revisited episode, we'll explore the rise of
1:46.0	American manufacturing in the decades after the American Revolution and how the federal government
1:50.8	invested in industry as a tool of sovereignty and national security. Lindsay Shackenbach-Reggola,
1:57.4	a professor of history at Miami University in Ohio, an author of Manufacturing Advantage,
2:03.0	War, the State, and the Origins of American Industry, 1776 to 1848, joins us to uncover
	...

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