An important date in this century is 1793--Eli Whitney received a patent for the cotton gin machine. Whitney was somewhat of a genius when it came to mass-producing identical metal parts. His true forte' was in making triggers and hammers for muskets and rifles. Prior to then, all rifles were individually crafted by a blacksmith. No two rifles were identical.[2]  Thus, the date of 1793 might well represent the dawn of the age of the Industrial Revolution, an age where metal tools and parts would be mass-produced. The reasons were economic. In the case of cotton, it took about as much manual labor to separate the cotton boll as it did to harvest the crop. The cotton gin, a relatively simple machine, allowed one man to not only do the work of many at a consistent production pace but also allowed for another important industrial benefit--consistent quality control. This one machine greatly reduced the cost of cotton which, in turn, made cotton fabric and clothing more affordable. Cotton became an export product as a result. More cotton was planted--more plows were forged--more wagons were needed to haul the cotton to market--better roads had to be built--and blacksmiths provided these tools. But mass-production techniques being pioneered in the late 1700's would eventually replace much of the blacksmith's work.

During this century, more horses meant more wagons which spurred more roads which spurred more communities. Commerce picked up significantly. Blacksmiths were critical to this development. Not only did they shoe the horses and build the wagons but they also made wagon wheel rims and made repairs. As commerce picked up and more settlers arrived, there was an increasing demand for plows and, of course, rifles. It has often been said that the long rifle secured America's quest for freedom. Not only did it have superior range and accuracy over any other weapon of its time but every colonist owned one and knew how to use it. Thus, many blacksmiths became gunsmiths. 

The first Act passed by our Congress was a procedural one that allowed it to conduct business. The second Act that it passed imposed a tariff on rum imported from the Caribbean islands. Whiskey making was a growth industry in America by the 1770's and the Congress felt that our industry shouldn't be undercut by imported liquor. (This all had to do with taxes on corn and whiskey, not drinking.) I point this out only because whiskey was aged in oak barrels and a blacksmith made the barrel hoops.

Most blacksmiths started work when they were young boys, maybe at age 6 or 7. They would apprentice to a blacksmith for a decade or more. And then they would set out to start their own shop. America became a great opportunity for young blacksmiths. In Europe and other parts of the world, there were few new or expanding markets for blacksmiths. If a boy did apprentice to a master, he might spend most of his life in that shop before he ever got the opportunity to be a journeyman. 

Model 1792 rifle manufactured at the US Armory at Harper's Ferry.  Instead of individual hand-crafting by a blacksmith/gunsmith, rifles were made with machine tools and had the advantage of interchangeable parts.

Lewis & Clark used these rifles on their expedition of the Louisiana Purchase.  They also took extra locks (the hammer actions) with them which proved valuable as some of the rifles required repair.