Bailyn argues that the force of attraction to North America was powerful for British emigrants, helped along by a labor shortage. Certain regions experienced greater shortages as well as certain activities and skills. In this chapter, Bailyn examines the areas which experienced labor shortages in North America during this time period.
Iron was one industry, which sought laborers from the British Isles. On the verge of the Revolution, the American colonies were producing about one-seventh of the world's iron supply or about 30,000 tons annually. There were over 250 ironworks operating in the colonies, with most of them located in southwestern New York, northern New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania, and northern Maryland. Yet, the ironworks were built in isolation from one another, often built surrounded by heavily wooded areas. Timber was.....
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