The demand for Chinese porcelain and the efforts to get rid
of Great Britain ’s
control over it helped to create the national conscience of the patriots.
Benjamin Rush
(1745-1813), one of the founding fathers of the United States , was among the first
group of colonists who put forward the concept of building a porcelain factory
in North America .[i]
Dr. Rush’s intention was to overcome the colonies’ dependence on Great Britain
for goods and trade. The endeavor of building such a factory was far beyond the
porcelain only. It demonstrated the colonists’ determination to be independent
from their motherland.
Go on in
encouraging American manufactures. I have many schemes in view with regard to
these things. I have made those mechanical arts which are connected with
chemistry the particular objects of my study and not without hopes of seeing a
china manufactory established in Philadelphia America
The Americans
wanted to diminish their reliance on taxed imports and ultimately their need
for other goods controlled by England .
Their pursuing self supply of Chinese porcelain ware became a powerful call for
the patriotic support of American economical independence. Some colonists
attempted to establish a porcelain
manufactory company in Philadelphia
in 1769. They established the factory on Prime Street “near the present day
navy yard, intended to make china at a savings of 15,000 £. “[iii]
Benjamin Franklin, who was in London
at the time, showed his happiness seeing the achievement made by his
countrymen. He said, “I am pleased to find so good progress made in the China
Manufactory. I wish it Success most heartily.”[iv]
The AmericanChina Manufactory became noted for the porcelain ware it produced. More importantly,
it succeeded in cultivating patriotic support. It set in motion “an intense
competition between the young American factory and its English contemporaries.”[v]
Although the porcelain factory lasted to 1772, it challenged Britain ’s
monopoly of the Chinese products and ultimately contributed to the winning of
American independence. Benjamin Rush stated clearly that he had regarded the
manufacture as an important means to mobilize the Americans to build a new
nation in North America : “There is but one expedient left whereby we can save
our sinking country, and that is by encouraging American manufactures. Unless
we do this, we shall be undone forever.”[vi]
[i] Michael K. Brown, Piecing
Together the Past: Recent research on the American China Manufactory, 1769-1772,
in Proceedings of the American
Philosophical Society, vol. 133, no. 4, 1989, p.557.
[ii] Benjamin Rush to Thomas
Bradford, 15 April 1768 ,
in L. H. Butterfield ed., Letters of
Benjamin Rush, Princeton
University
[iii] John Fanning Watson ed. Annals of Philadelphia
[iv] Benjamin Franklin to
Deborah Franklin, 28 January
1772 , in Franklin
Papers. It is available on line at http://www.franklinpapers.org/franklin/framedVolumes.jsp
[v] Michael K. Brown, Piecing
Together the Past: Recent research on the American China Manufactory,
1769-1772, in Proceedings of the American
Philosophical Society, vol. 133, no. 4, 1989, p.573.
[vi] Benjamin Rush to probably
Jacob Rush, 26 January 1769 ,
in L. H. Butterfield ed., Letters of
Benjamin Rush, Princeton
University Pennsylvania 6 April 1769 .
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