Henry Burden (1791–1871) emigrated from Scotland to New York in 1819 and soon transformed the ramshackle Troy Iron and Nail Factory into a progressive operation and base for his inventive creativity. Burden capitalized on the explosive growth of railroads and patented a machine to manufacture hook-headed wrought-iron spikes for securing rails, becoming the largest American supplier. In 1835, Burden patented his best-known invention, a self-acting machine that could produce sixty horseshoes per minute. By 1862, Burden became the sole supplier of horseshoes to the Union Army during the Civil War. This huge market earned the renamed H. Burden & Sons $2 million in annual sales and catapulted the company into the ranks of the largest and most profitable iron manufacturers. This video is featured in the "Men of Progress" section of the American Enterprise exhibition at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. (The video does not include an audio track). Teachers, parents, educators! Check out our resources to use these videos in the classroom here: https://historyexplorer.si.edu/resource/men-progress-video-series Section link: americanhistory.si.edu/american-enterprise-exhibition/videos/men-progress Exhibition link: americanhistory.si.edu/american-enterprise
