At the time of the American Revolution, England was the largest manufacturer of nails in the world. Nails were expensive and difficult to obtain in the American colonies, so that abandoned houses were sometimes deliberately burned down to allow recovery of used nails from the ashes. This became such a problem in Virginia that a law was created to stop people from burning their houses when they moved. Families often had small nail-manufacturing setups in their homes; during bad weather and at night, the entire family might work at making nails for their own use and for barter. Thomas Jefferson wrote in a letter: "In our private pursuits it is a great advantage that every honest employment is deemed honorable. I am myself a nail maker." The growth of the trade in the American colonies was theoretically held back by the prohibition of new slitting mills in America by the Iron Act 1750, though there is no evidence that the Act was actually enforced.
At the time of the American Revolution England was the largest manufacturer of nails in the world Nails were expensive and difficult to obtain in the American colonies so that abandoned houses were sometimes deliberately burned down to allow recovery of used nails from the ashes This became such a problem in Virginia that a law was created to stop people from burning their houses when they moved Families often had small nail-manufacturing setups in their homes; during bad weather and at night the entire family might work at making nails for their own use and for barter Thomas Jefferson wrote in a letter "In our private pursuits it is a great advantage that every honest employment is deemed honorable I am myself a nail maker" The growth of the trade in the American colonies was theoretically held back by the prohibition of new slitting mills in America by the Iron Act 1750 though there is no evidence that the Act was actually enforced