Welcome to the DuPont Company on the Brandywine Project, an interactive look at the history of the DuPont Company black powder works that operated along the Brandywine River in Wilmington, Delaware from 1803 to 1921.
This exhibit offers users a unique experience in exploring the people, place and product that turned a small operation founded by French emigrants into the largest supplier of black powder in the United States during the 19th century.
The powder supplied by DuPont fired the guns and cannons in wartime, blasted mines for extracting coal, and carved the paths for railroads and canals. The early history of DuPont is not simply the history of a single business but a bigger story about 19th century America.
Primary Sources:
Many of the manuscripts, archives, and photograph materials used for this exhibits have been digitized and are available for research at the Hagley Digital Archives. Visit the primary sources page for this exhibit.
Credits:
This exhibit was made possible through the generous support of private foundation grants. If you would like to make a donation of support, click here.
Feedback?
Please contact Kevin Martin, Curator of Digital Collections, if you have comments or would like to report a problem: kmartin@hagley.org