The Path to Mechanized Shoe Production in the United States

In 1800, shoes in the United States were made by craftsmen, each trained to create an entire shoe. A century later, shoes were mass-produced in factories employing dozens of machines and specialized workers. Ross Thomson describes this transition from craft to mechanized production in one of the largest American industries of the nineteenth century.

Early shoe machinery originated through innovations made by shoemakers, tailors, and especially machinists. It continued to evolve through a pro...