New Hearths for a New Nation: The Technology and Consumption of Heat in Early American Cities

FAIN: FT-52076-04

Sean Patrick Adams
University of Central Florida Board of Trustees (Orlando, FL 32816-8005)

This project explores the interaction of class politics, scientific knowledge, and the consumption of fuel during a series of economic and humanitarian crises in antebellum American cities. More specifically, I will examine the connections between scientific, philanthropic, and political institutions and fuel technology in Boston, New York, and Philadelphia and how, in turn, they informed and influenced personal consumer choices made in the home from the 1790s through the 1850s. This will demonstrate how scientific and technological breakthroughs negotiated their way through institutions, entrepreneurs, and consumers in the Early Republic and how urban families struggled to adapt to shifts in heating technology and domestic economies.